Kingdom Hearts: The Third Chapter
by The Green Light Wolf
Summary: With Xehanorts challenge issued, the Warriors of Light frantically work to bolster their ranks in order to finally end the tyranny of the fallen Keyblade Master. While Kairi begins her training on Radiant Garden alongside Lea, Mickey and Riku journey into the Realm of Darkness to find Aqua. Meanwhile, Sora heads to Olympus Coliseum in order to regain his lost powers...
1. Where They Fell: Sora

_"May my Heart be my guiding Key."_

 _"This world is just too small."_

 _"Protect the things that matter..."_

 _"I just gotta keep on believing."_

 _"The Three of us, will always be one."_

 _"You used to be too broken to talk back."_

 _"My name is Master Aqua. Now return my friends heart, or pay the price!"_

 _"Wait a minute! What happened to my home!? My Island!? Riku? Kairi?"_

 _"One who knows nothing, can understand nothing."_

 _"Giving up already? Come on **Sora**. I thought you were stronger than that!"_

 _"You poor simple fools. You think that you can defeat me? Me, the Mistress of all Evil!?"_

 _"You're wrong! I know now, without a doubt, that Kingdom Hearts is Light!"_

 _"Take care of her."_

 _" **Sora** you're lucky. It looks like my summer vacation... is over."_

 _"Does **he** really have the power to wield the Keyblade? **He** is nothing but a boy."_

 _"Do not misunderstand me. I shall have my revenge yet."_

 _"Tell me. Why did he pick **you**!?"_

 _"Heroes of the Light. I will not allow it to end this way. Not yet. If Light and Darkness are eternal, then surely we nothings are the same... eternal."_

 _"W-we're back."_

 _"You're home."_

 _"Hypocrite. **You** are the one who has made your heart a prison."_

 _"Master Xehanort!? We were right about you!"_

 _"Let us finish this in the fated place! Once your Lights and my Darknesses have joined together!"_

 _"All right! Olympus Coliseum, here we come!"_

Falling was such a unique sensation, unlike anything else. Sora could feel himself slowly descending towards... something. He couldn't see when he opened his eyes as the entire place he found himself was completely taken by the Darkness. The descent itself was gentle and he felt almost peaceful. If not for the unsettling feeling that Darkness always seemed to emanate, he may actually feel comfortable with his current situation. He had a feeling he knew what was happening however, as ever since he was a child he occasionally found himself here.

As expected, his body began to shift downwards and his feet softly connected with the ground. Moments later, the darkness scurried away and took the form of countless white doves that flew from his position and revealed that he was standing on a massive stained glass platform. A familiar voice then spoke up in his mind.

"It is almost here. The time of the preordained confrontation is at hand."

"The confrontation?" Sora questioned, looking down at the platform and studying it. Like all the others, there was a central figure pictured in the center with their body hovering in a sleep like state. It was him, although a much younger version. His brown hair was still styled similarly to his current state and he wore a white t-shirt and red shorts. He was cradling a white orb close to his chest as he slept. "Is that me?"

"Those who sleep must be awakened to take part in this battle. This is your task."

"Where can I find the other Lights?" Sora tried. The voice never really answered his questions but it never hurt to try. He examined the rest of the platform. The background was simple black and there were various faces pictured around his young self. Riku. Kairi. Mickey. Lea. Roxas. A girl who looked like Kairi but with black hair with a large crack over her face. Namine. An older girl with blue hair. An older boy with long white hair and yellow eyes. A sleeping body who looked like a younger version of Roxas. Snow White. Cinderella. Belle. Aurora. Jasmine. Alice. Maleficent. Pete. Finally, there was a pale skinned boy with dark red hair and soft orange eyes. So many people he had opened his heart to and seemingly those he would soon meet.

"To do this, you will need the help of the Old Masters. Their legacies are scattered across the worlds."

"Old Masters? What Old Masters?" Sora questioned, growing impatient. He was not a fan of how cryptic this voice always was each time he returned to the strange place he found himself in. "Where can I find them?"

"You will not be able to save everybody. But you will try. You will always try to help those in need. This is your most prominent flaw but also the trait that will save the Worlds from collapse."

"That's... ominous." Sora muttered, frustrated that the voice was still not answering his questions. He glanced back down at the platform and frowned. This was raising so many questions. Who was the boy with the dark red hair? Where were the Old Masters and WHO were they? Why would he not be able to save everybody? And why was the platform showing himself sleeping, a younger version of him, when he was supposed to be the one waking everybody else's hearts up?

"Wake up!"

* * *

"Sora! Wake up!"

Sora's eyes opened and he jumped forward with a start, tumbling onto the floor with Donald Duck squawking in agitated protest as the teenager fell on top of him. They struggled to untangle their limbs from one another and Donald rose back to his face with a huff and a glare directed towards the boy.

"S-sorry Donald." Sora said, getting back to his feet and rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Gawrsh, you really dozed off there Sora." Goofy said from his spot at a seat to their left.

"Doesn't mean you have to throw yourself on top of me!" Donald chastised him, folding his arms over his chest.

"I didn't meant to! Honest!" Sora raised his hands defensively before frowning. "Why did you wake me up in the first place?"

"We're here obviously." Donald scoffed, jerking his thumb in the direction of the view port.

Sora looked out the view port and smiled at the sight of the familiar world. He had traveled here many times since his first adventure out into the worlds and he was honestly quite excited to see the inhabitants again. They were all great Heroes and if they were allowed to break through the walls between worlds, he was almost certain that they would be of great help to him. Of course, they weren't and this was just wishful thinking. He frowned slightly, noticing that the world itself looked different. Bigger.

"Somethings not right..." Sora stated.

"It does look like its grown a bit." Goofy agreed.

"Bah the worlds change sometimes. This isn't a big deal." Donald rolled his eyes and settled back into his own chair and pressed a couple of buttons. "It probably has something to do with Master Xehanort's Thirteen Darknesses."

"Yeah... I guess." Sora replied uncertainly. "But the cloud of darkness isn't hanging over it. In fact, it looks brighter than ever."

"Maybe it's been fully restored to it's original state?" Goofy suggested.

"Who cares?" Donald said impatiently as the Gummi Ship began to enter the atmosphere of the world and they all gasped as a bright flash blinded them all.

* * *

"Ugh..." Sora groaned as he opened his eyes and looked around.

He was in a strange place. The ground was simple dirt and there were several marble pillars jutting upwards from the ground. As he studied the area further, he found that there were more pillars and a broken path made of the same white marble, while several lush plains, trees and bushes surrounded him. The sky was blue and the sun was shining down on him brightly. Donald and Goofy were nowhere to be found and it didn't seem like anybody was around for ages. Standing up with a grunt, the young Keyblade wielder shrugged and decided to just walk forward. However, no more than one step had his eyes falling on a familiar dark portal and without any hesitation he summoned the Kingdom Key. Dropping into his battle ready stance, his eyes narrowed as he looked upon the black coated figure.

"So the new organization is here too huh?" Sora stated, ready to fight off the newcomer. "Take that hood off and show me who you are!"

The tall figure stared at him for a few moments before a low chuckle escaped their lips, betraying them as distinctly male. His right hand slowly was raised but instead of pulling down their hood, the figure instead opened their palm and in a blaze of flame a weapon appeared in their grasp. It was a Keyblade with more jagged edges than Soras and a black and orange color scheme. The figure pointed his weapon towards Sora before letting it drop, a signature dueling stance that signified the stranger was challenging him.

"So you wanna fight? Alright then!" Sora yelled, jumping towards the figure and swinging his weapon in a wide arc.

The stranger raised his own weapon to block and the clash sent out a clear shock wave of power from the connection. Sora landed on the ground and offered two more quick strikes but each of them was parried by the mysterious figure who let out another chuckle. Jumping backwards, Sora decided to try a different tactic and threw his Keyblade in a spiraling motion towards the figure, making use of the Strike Raid technique. The figure batted this too away, as well as three more attempted strikes before Sora stopped and the two Keyblade wielders stood meters apart.

"Not bad." Sora complimented the male, inwardly cursing the fact he'd lost most of his strength during his time in the Sleeping Worlds.

"Is that all you have?" The figure questioned him. His voice was quite deep with an amused tone to it.

"You should know the answer to that, you guys are the ones who did this to me!" Sora accused him, a frown on his usually pleasant face.

"'You guys'?" The figure asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Dont pretend you don't know! That cloak proves you're with Master Xehanort!" Sora stated almost angrily.

"Xehanort?" The figure seemed angered himself by that comment. "I would never side with that snake."

"If you're not on his side, then why are you wearing that coat?" Sora demanded.

"Some old guy in the Realm of Darkness gave it to me right before he pushed me through that Corridor." The figure explained before jumping towards him with surprising speed. "Anyway, enough talk. Take this!"

Sora raised his Keyblade to defend against the sudden onslaught and barely managed to keep up. He batted away five consecutive strikes before the figure changed tactics and spun, kicking Sora in the ribs and sending him flying into one of the pillars. Without a moment to rest, Sora barely managed to dodge a slash meant for his neck and tried to counter attack with a strike of his own but instead had his Kingdom Key batted from his grasp. Eyes widening in surprise, Sora yelped as the figure roughly grabbed him by the throat and tossed him away. As Sora skidded to a halt in the dirt, the figure landed on the ground near the Kingdom Key and picked it up with his free hand, looking over it curiously. Behind him, the pillar he'd slashed fell to the ground and caused a cloud of dust to spring up.

"This design is so simple." The figure chuckled before continuing. "I guess it suits your fighting style.

"Sh-shut up!" Sora growled as he picked himself up and summoned the weapon back to him in a sudden flash of light.

"Whats your name kid?" The figure asked, letting his own Keyblade disappear in another blast of flame.

"Sora." The boy replied, eyeing the figure suspiciously. "Who are you?"

The figure regarded him silently before whipping off the coat in one swift movement. He had pale skin, green eyes and bright red hair that was as wild as his fighting style. He wore a white t-shirt that was cut off at his midriff revealing his abs and black shorts with armored boots of a black coloration with metallic orange accents. He had a grey belt that crossed his torso over his left shoulder which had a flat armored pauldron of the same color as his boots. His entire left arm was covered in the same armor with clawed finger tips and he had an X shaped scar on his right cheek. He had a smirk on his face and let his right hand rest on his hip.

"Master Ignis, at your service." The male stated, nodding his head politely.

"M-Master!?" Sora exclaimed, eyes wide with shock and confusion. "That's impossible!"

* * *

-Kingdom Hearts: The Third Chapter-


	2. Where They Fell: Riku

_"May my Heart be my Guiding Key."_

 _"This world is just too small."_

 _"Please don't do this Master! I'm not strong enough!"_

 _"Together always... That would be the last night we spent under the same stars."_

 _"What I do... I do for friendship!"_

 _"Yes boy thats it! Let your whole heart blacken with anger!"_

 _"Aqua... put an end to me."_

 _"When we grow up, lets get off this Island. We'll go on real adventures, not this kid stuff!"_

 _"Why do you still care about that boy? He has all but deserted you for the Keyblade and his new companions, after all."_

 _"Hey! Let him go **Riku**."_

 _"It is I, Ansem. The Seeker of Darkness."_

 _"Sora... Kairi... I'm sorry."_

 _"I met two boys I considered passing the Keyblade onto. But because Terra had already given one of them the power, I didn't."_

 _"I know you can feel it **Riku** , the grip I have on your heart. You've let the Darkness in. _

_"So its true. You really are his nobody. I guess DiZ was right after all."_

 _"What a shame... And here I thought we could be friends."_

 _"It's **Riku. Riku's** here. I've looked for **you**... I looked everywhere for **you**!"_

 _"I need... more rage!. I need... more hearts!"_

 _"W-we're back."_

 _"You're home."_

 _"Ever the fool boy. And ever the pawn of Darkness!"_

 _"Master Xehanort! We were right about you!"_

 _"Let us finish this at the fated place! Once your Lights and my Darknesses have joined together!"_

 _"She sacrificed herself to save me!? Why did you keep it from me for so long!?"_

Darkness. It had such a distinct smell, a stench that was almost suffocating. As Riku opened his eyes to see nothing but the dark void, he wanted to slip right back into unconsciousness. He was falling. If he wasn't so wary of the Darkness and all the dangers that it embodied, he might have actually felt relaxed in that moment. But he was no fool. Never again would he let himself be controlled by the Darkness or manipulated by those who used it to further their own goals. Silently, he reminded himself of his path down the middle between Light and Dark as recognition set in.

He knew this place.

It wasn't the Realm of Darkness. Not exactly. More like a place set between the waking world and the dreaming one. He knew that his actual body was currently resting in the Realm of Darkness, probably being guarded by Mickey. He felt bad. Here he was, resting like a lazy bum while a King was protecting him.

"It's almost here. The time of the preordained confrontation is at hand."

His feet touched something and suddenly a flash of white light revealed a stained glass platform beneath him. A younger version of himself hovered in a sleeping position on the picture directly in the center. He looked so calm. So innocent. Far from what he was now. The only thing that remained the same was his white hair which he had recently cut.

"Can you tell me how long I have?" Riku asked. The voice rarely, if ever replied to his questions. The background to the picture was white and around the edge were several portraits of people who had affected his life. Sora. Mickey. Kairi. Maleficent. Ansem. Marluxia. The Replika of him that an Organization member had created. A girl that looked startlingly like Kairi but with black hair and a large crack over her face. Namine. Roxas. Ansem the Wise. A blue haired girl he assumed was Aqua. A man with white hair and yellow eyes who looked like Terra. A boy who looked like a young Roxas. Lea. Braig. A boy who looked like Sora if he was on Xehanorts side. Master Xehanort. Finally, there was a pale skinned boy with dark red hair and soft orange eyes.

"He must be stopped. He would do anything to save her."

"Her?" Riku's eyes narrowed as he thought about who the voice was talking about. Could Xehanort have some female ally they didn't know about? No that couldn't be it. Why would Xehanort want to save anybody but himself?"

"You will struggle to bring yourself to end his life. But it is your duty, as a Keyblade Master."

"Struggle? You mean, the battle will be difficult?" Riku was often frustrated by the cryptic messages the voice sent his way when he arrived in this place. It was irritating, and quite honestly a waste of his time. Glancing down at the faces once more, he noticed that Soras eyes were shut. Pointing at it, he looked up into the dark sky. "Whats that about?"

"Abandon your search for those requiring their own personal awakenings. Hunt down instead, the Old Masters. Their legacies are the only things that can help you attempt to stop what is to come."

"I cant. I owe Aqua my life!" Riku rolled his eyes, clearly done with the conversation. Looking down, his eyes widened as the portrait of Sora opened its own. The eyes were crimson and dark lines were streaking out around his face. Blinking, he shook his head and sighed in relief as it changed back. He must have imagined it.

"Wake up!"

* * *

Riku opened his green eyes and immediately sprang to his feet, summoning his Keyblade to his hand as he dodged to the side just in time to miss being slashed by a Neoshadow. He looked around and frowned. They were surrounded. Mickey was close by, doing what he could but the sheer number of the Pureblood Heartless was overwhelming. Raising Way to the Dawn, he blocked the slash of a Neoshadow before cutting it down. Taking down several more of the long limbed creatures, he closed the distance between him and the King until they were standing back to back.

"I was hopin' you would wake up!" Mickey greeted him, leaping into the air above a Neoshadow and coming down hard with enough force to destroy the being of darkness. "Seemed like ya were having one heck of a dream!"

"It was definitely something..." Riku replied, quickly slashing through two Neoshadows and raising his hand to fire a blast of black flame towards a group of others. It exploded and the blaze took them out easily. "The Realm of Darkness seems to have gotten a lot more populated since the last time we were here."

"Must have somethin' to do with Master Xehanort!" Mickey offered, flipping back to avoid an unusually precise strike from another Neoshadow. "We've gotta get outta here!"

"Yeah." Riku replied, looking around as he dodged several more attacks. Looking up, he spotted a cliff that would give them a moment to gather themselves. "Up there!"

"Gotcha!" Mickey said, cutting down several more Neoshadows. "Lets go!"

The two Keyblade Masters fought their way to the base of the cliff, each of them expertly covering the others blind spots while also defending themselves. It would appear as effortless to an outsider, a practiced and perfected technique over several years rather than a sudden necessity in order to survive. Mickeys agile and aggressive style blended well into Riku's more calm and minimalist approach to Keyblade combat and they soon reached their destination. Instead of stopping however, they continued and began to run up the side of the cliff while continuing to fight off the Pureblood Heartless. As they got closer to the top, less and less Heartless managed to reach them and by the time the reached the peak they were finally alone.

Riku dropped to one knee and dismissed Way to the Dawn, working hard to catch his breath. The last time he'd done something like that had been in the World that Never Was during his fight against Roxas but back then he hadn't had to fight off the more powerful cousins of your everyday heartless in droves. Recovering himself, he stood back up and brushed off his black coat before turning to Mickey.

"That won't stop them for long." Riku stated, pulling his hood back up to cover his face.

"Gee I knew the Realm of Darkness would be full of Heartless but I don't know if we can keep doing that." Mickey agreed, beginning to walk forward. "But we have to. For Aqua."

"For Aqua. "Riku nodded and followed after the male.

They walked in silence. The Realm of Darkness was not the kind of place you wanted to attract attention and the coats of the Organization did offer some small form of camouflage for them. Which totally wouldn't work if they were speaking the whole time. It was fine for Riku. He'd never been the chatty type, that was always Sora's role in the friendship. His thoughts went to his best friend, wondering if Sora had been back to Yen Sids tower yet to receive his orders. Or how Kairi was doing. Had she arrived at Radiant Garden yet with Lea to train under Merlin? Questions he was going to have to wait to find out the answers to. Which was fine. He'd spent long enough wading through the Darkness apart from his friends, a couple more weeks wouldn't do much.

But that was just it. Time worked differently in the Realm of Darkness. A day in the Realm of Light could be a week here. Or even a second. The entire dimension worked in a way to best break the spirit of any living person unfortunate enough to get lost here. Despair was what it craved and Riku had no doubt that others had found themselves here and caved in. He just hoped Aqua hadn't given up. Not yet.

"Hey Riku." Mickey said quietly, his eyes still looking forward.

"Yeah?" Riku replied, wondering what his friend wanted.

"When ya were trapped here after fighting Ansem the Seeker of Darkness, what keptcha going?" Mickey asked. Riku raised his eyebrow at the mouses question.

"I uh..." Riku took a moment to think before answering. "Well, you certainly helped. I was so lost, broken and disappointed in myself straight after the battle. I guess you could say I set myself a goal, that I would redeem myself and make up for everything I did. No matter the cost to myself. I kind of started viewing myself as a tool. I couldn't breakdown emotionally because my emotions were locked away."

"How tragic." A familiar, haughty voice spoke behind them and both Keyblade Masters spun around.

"Maleficent!" Both cried in unison, summoning their respective Keyblades.

"What are you two doing in the Realm of Darkness?" Maleficent raised one perfect eyebrow, stroking her chin with her free hand while her other clutched her staff.

"None of your business." Riku stated, a fire starting to burn in his chest. It was familiar and putrid. The feeling of his inner darkness attempting to come to the surface.

"Such a rude attitude. How quickly you forget boy, that it was I who taught you to keep the Darkness at bay!" Maleficent cried, sending a blast of green fire in their direction.

While Mickey made to dodge the blast, Riku charged at it with his Keyblade raised. Slicing through it, he leaped towards the female and brought his Keyblade down towards her in an attempt to decisively end her reign of evil. Nothing was that easy of course and the woman blocked his strike with her staff. He landed and swung again, only to have her summon a green barrier around herself. With a frustrated yell, Riku gripped his Keyblade with both hands and began to rain down hammer like blows on the shield but to no avail. He stopped after the fifth try, his eyes wide and full of hatred. It was like looking at a different person.

"Interesting..." Maleficent said, studying him intently. "It seems that being surrounded by the Darkness has drawn out some of your old tendencies."

"That wasn't me and you know it!" Riku growled.

"Child, you cannot blame your actions during that time entirely on Xehanorts Heartless." Maleficent let out a dark chuckle. "I distinctly remember you choosing the path to the Dark because... now what was it? Ahh yes. Your little friend chose to spend his time with others and not you."

"Well now he's on a different path!" Mickey came to Rikus side, giving his friend a concerned look who was standing in a cool silence.

"Clearly." Maleficent stated, clearly unconvinced. Waving her hand, she let out another chuckle. "I don't have time to play with you. But he certainly does!"

Riku and Mickey spun to see a Darkside Heartless forming behind them, a green flash behind them as Maleficent disappeared. As her laughter faded away, Riku let out a frustrated cry and ran towards the Darkside head on. Mickey held out a hand to his friend, confused about the sudden change.

"Riku wait!"


	3. Where They Fell: Kairi

_"May my Heart be my Guiding Key."_

 _"This world is just too small."_

 _"Pure Hearts... filled with Light..."_

 _"The Darkness. Where did it come from?"_

 _"As I feared, the Darkness is here."_

 _"He wanted me to buy time and I'd say he got it."_

 _"Correct, I am not Ventus. His heart has become a part of mine."_

 _"Believe in the Light and the Darkness will never defeat you. **Your** heart will shine with it's power and push the Darkness away."_

 _"Why do you still care about that boy? He has all but deserted you for the Keyblade and his new companions, after all."_

 _"Sora you lazy bum. I thought I'd find you snoozing down here."_

 _"Forget it! There's no way you're taking **Kairis** heart!"_

 _"Wherever you go, I'm always with you._

 _"You gave me back something when I needed it most. A second chance. But... now I have to go back to sleep again."_

 _"We've got something in common **Kairi**. You and I both miss someone we care about."_

 _"Roxas, nobodies like us are only half a person. You wont disappear. You'll be whole!"_

 _"You're the fire that feeds Soras anger."_

 _"You never came back, so I went looking for you. This is real..."_

 _"Thinking of you wherever you are."_

 _"W-we're back."_

 _"You're home."_

 _"Soras heart belongs to the Darkness now."_

 _"Master Xehanort! We were right about you!"_

 _"Let us finish this at the fated place! Once your Lights and my Darknesses have joined together!"_

 _"Master I came here because I wanted to help somehow. What can I do?"_

* * *

Kairi opened her eyes and found herself in a room she couldn't remember, and yet felt a distinct familiarity to it. Completely white, it had a full length table in the center and pictures covering the far wall. There was a window to her right but outside there was nothing but darkness. She quietly reminded herself to remain calm and thought on the situation, realization crossing her face as she gently placed her hand over her chest and smiled.

"Namine, is this your doing?" She said, her voice soft and friendly.

As if on cue, a bright flash of light revealed her Nobody. The girls blonde hair and white dress were the same as they had been the last time the two girls had interacted and her blue eyes were just as deep as her own. Even her smile was a replica of Kairis own, signifying their connection as two sides of the same coin. Once disconnected and now brought together forever. It was strange however, to be able to see Namine. This couldn't be the real world. It didn't seem possible to Kairi that her Nobody could somehow take physical form again. As if reading her thoughts, Namine offered a slight smile.

"You've been here before. The Realm Between the Waking and Sleeping Worlds. A place of great Darkness but at the same time the purest of Light." Namine explained, sitting down at the table and gesturing for her Somebody to do the same. Once Kairi sat down, Namine spoke once more. "Thanks to my unique abilities, I was able to mold it into a slightly more hospitable place."

"The Witch who was cast aside and The Princess who failed to defend her friends."

"Who's there!?" Kairi said, startled at the disembodied voice that had spoken so suddenly.

"It is a presence from beyond time and space itself. A Watcher if you will." Namine replied almost immediately, not looking nearly as unsettled as her counterpart. "It cannot harm us. Merely impart warnings and wisdom."

"Wait I remember this place now. Last time I was here, I was falling towards a platform. The Princesses of Heart were represented on it's colored glass." Kairi stated, recognition flaring in her eyes. "That voice was here too."

"I am everywhere child. Past. Present. Future. Each place that time has or will ever touch is somewhere that my reach extends."

"Sora and Riku have been here as well. The Watcher never answers them. It annoys them a lot." Namine chuckled.

"Why me?" Kairi raised an eyebrow.

"Because you are a Princess of Heart. In case you haven't noticed yet, things work differently for you." Namine gestured to herself as an example.

"A warning, Princess of Heart. This path that you and your companions have set down, it cannot end well."

"What do you mean?" Kairi said, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"I cannot offer answers to your problems, only warnings in an attempt to set you on the correct path. Just know that when Seven Lights and Thirteen Darknesses clash, many will fall on both sides."

"Which brings me to these." Namine spoke next, bringing to pieces of paper out of seemingly nowhere and placing them on the table side by side. One was a crude portrait of Sora while the other was a similarly drawn interpretation of Riku. Both had their eyes closed and both look unmistakably sad. "Sora and Riku are your best friends and the three of you are united in your quest to rid the worlds of the growing Darkness. But trust me when I say that your best intentions cannot stop what is supposed to happen."

"Their time will come, the breaking point reached. Upon the fated battleground, yet another tragedy shall occur. On that land shall Darkness prevail and Light expire."

"You can't save everybody." Namine continued after the Watcher spoke. "The story has already been written and we're all just here to play it out."

"There must be a way to change it! We're going to save them all!" Kairi said confidently, standing up from her seat abruptly. "Sora has beaten fate so many times already. And Riku overpowered the Darkness in himself and was redeemed for his actions in the past. Those weren't things preordained by some kind of prophecy!"

"If you had to save one of them," Namine began, calmly gesturing to the pictures. "Which one would it be?"

"Both! Nobody needs to die, as long as we're together we can overcome anything!" Kairi replied, a frown on her soft features.

"I wish it could be like that..." Namine looked down sadly, her lips moving for the next words but the voice coming from the Watcher.

"Wake up!"

* * *

Kairis eyes snapped open and she was standing in the middle of an unfamiliar street on what she assumed was Radiant Garden, multiple building surrounding herself and Lea. With her back to the orange haired male, she silently released her grip on the Star Shard that they both had used to travel there. While Lea put the Star Shard into a containment pouch and then into his coat, Kairi examined the street carefully. It seemed deserted but the stalls were full of produce, just nobody there to sell it all. Her eyes narrowed and she shared a look with Lea who shrugged.

"This isn't the Castle, that is over there." Lea pointed to the large structure nearby before sighing. "It kinda sucks, because I know for a fact there were resistance fighters in this area and they probably don't know that I'm one of the goo-"

As if on cue, a male dressed in all black leaped off a rooftop and down towards the two of them with a strange looking sword. Luckily, Lea was used to unexpected attacks and summoned his Chakrams quickly and blocked the initial attack. Instead of swinging again, the attacker jumped back and pointed his weapon towards them and Kairis eyes widened as she summoned her Keyblade Destiny's Embrace. Putting herself between Lea and the attacker, she blocked the projectile attack with gritted teeth and grasped the hilt of her weapon with both hands.

"Kairi!" Lea said worriedly, holding both Chakram in one hand while placing the other on her shoulder. "Don't do stuff like that, I can protect us from this guy."

"I need to do this Lea." Kairi said defiantly, the conversation from her time in the Realm Between still fresh in her mind. Glaring at their attacker, she readied herself to defend against another attack. "Why are you attacking us?"

"What do you mean?" The man said, his eyes narrowed. "Thats a member of the Organization and we're taking him down. If you get in our way, we'll have no choice but to bring you down as well."

'We' turned out to be two more people. A girl dressed similarly in black appeared to their left while a blonde man with a huge sword and also dressed in black stepped towards them from the right. They were outnumbered and probably outmatched. Kairi gritted her teeth, knowing she was no match for any of the attackers. She didn't want to have to rely on Lea to protect her. She couldn't act like that anymore, not with anybody. If she was going to contribute to the fight against Xehanort then she needed to be like Sora and Riku, throw herself into the front lines and take the bruises as they came.

"Organization? Nah." Lea said behind her, pointing to each opponent as they slowly moved towards them. "That was Axel. I'm Lea now, Got it Memorized?"

"Memorize this!" The blonde male dashed towards Lea with surprising speed, his sword raised for attack.

Kairi blinked and missed the exchange entirely, only seeing as the blonde male flipped backwards and growled. Lea was now standing protectively in front of her, his arms extended to either side and his Chakrams spinning furiously just out of his reach. She could feel the power radiating off of her friend and silently cursed, looking to the left towards the girl. Without thinking too much about it, she let out a battle cry and ran towards the female.

"Kairi!" Lea said but found himself defending against coordinated attacks from the two swordsmen.

Kairi swung wildly at the girl who practically danced around her attacks. Letting out a frustrated gasp, Kairi feinted a strike to the girls ribs and when she moved Kairi attempted to sweep her feet out from under her. The other girl did a gracefull cartwheel to avoid the strike and stepped back with her fists raised defensively. Pointing her Keyblade at the female, Kairi focused her energy and a beam of Light blasted out from the end of her weapon. Her opponents eyes widened as the blast hit her square in the chest and she made an 'oomph' sound as she impacted against the stone wall of a small building behind her. Kairi felt a brief moment of satisfaction but that went away as soon as the other girl picked herself up, dusted herself off and let out a slight groan.

"That was unexpected." The girl said, looking at Kairis Keyblade for a moment before her eyes widened. "Hey wait a minute, thats a Keyblade!"

"Yeah it is. So what?" Kairi replied, dropping into a defensive stance.

"This isn't good." The girl said, turning towards the other guys " Cloud! Leon! Stop attacking! They're the ones Merlin is waiting on!"

Kairi watched as Cloud and Leon got surprised expressions of their own and immediately stopped what they were doing, their weapons disappearing in flashes of magic. Lea looked momentarily disappointed before letting his Chakram disappear in balls of fire.

"Uh sorry about that." The other girl said, a sheepish smile on her face. "Come on. We'll take you to the old man."

* * *

They were taken to the Castle. Apparently, they had taken up residence there shortly after Lea had left and met with Aeleus who explained that he was the Apprentice of Ansem the Wise and they needed help. He had of course left out the fact that he was the Somebody of a member of Organization XIII and therefore the three had attacked Kairi and Lea on sight. The girl, whos name was Tifa, apparently found the whole situation hilarious. They walked into a large room and Kairi noticed that it was a Throne Room. It was massive, regal and a Throne sat in front of a huge window that overlooked the entire city. There was a table set up at the center of the room where a group of people were looking over a map.

"I'm telling you, Maleficent is going to try to take control of this castle back." A young female with short hair and a green top said. "We should fortify it while we can."

"No amount of fortifications will withstand the assault of the real threat here." A muscular man with strange hair and an axe clipped to his belt replied. "Xehanort knows we've woken up and he knows where we are."

"Xehanort. Maleficent. It seems we are accosted by enemies on all sides." An old wizard cut in, shaking his head. He noticed Kairi and the others approaching and smiled. "Ahh my future students!"

"You know why we're here?" Lea said, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course I do my boy. Yen Sid and I have been communicating for generations. I know almost as much about the goings on in the Worlds as he does." The Wizard replied with a wink. "I am Merlin, the man who will teach you to harness your new powers. This is Yuffie and Aeleus."

"I know who the big lug is." Lea replied with a smirk.

"I was talking to the young lady." Merlin snapped back, smiling at Kairi. "I knew your Grandmother. A wondrous woman and loyal friend. I hear you take after her."

"I do." Kairi replied, looking around the room again. Something felt... familiar. "I feel like I've been here before."

"You have, my lady." Aeleus replied, his tone respectful. "Your Grandmother was good friends with our Master. She would often bring you here with her. You... enjoyed sitting on the Throne and playing Princess."

"Wait really? You're from here." Lea exclaimed.

"It's fuzzy but I do have memories of this place. It feels like home." Kairi smiled.

"From playing Princess to being a Princess of Heart. Seem's like fate to me." Merlin winked again before clearing his throat. "Right, we can reminisce later. I need to get your training under way. First things First, dueling skills! I've chosen sparring partners for you both. Kairi, you are with Cloud. Lea, because of your advanced skills and power before unlocking the Keyblade I have chosen to give you a fitting partner."

The doors to the Throne room opened and all eyes went to the new comer. Kairi noticed that both Cloud, Yuffie and Tifa stiffened up at the sight of the male who approached and wondered what made them so unnerved by him. His pale skin, long silver hair and lean figure were all rather normal. The strange and wonderful thing about him was the black wing that extended from his right shoulder blade. As he came to a stop before them, Kairi felt his gaze on her and a thin smirk crossed the mans face.

"This is Sephiroth, one of the greatest duelists of our age." Merlin explained, a smile on his face.

"A pleasure to meet you both. Nice to see you again as well. Cloud. Tifa. Yuffie." Sephiroth's voice was silky smooth and his keen gaze seemed to look right through to each of their hearts. His eyes lingered on Kairi for a few moments before he spoke again. "Shall we begin?"

* * *

Authors Note!

Just so you guys know, I've plotted out this story from start to finish. :) None of the announcements of KH3 (Even though they are AMAZING) will impact my stories progression or plot.


	4. Familiar Places, Familiar Faces

Authors Note:

So, my story from this point on will have cycling chapters including all of their plots with a focus on one of the main trio. For example, the main focus here is Sora's plotline, but Riku and Kairi are still being covered to a lesser extent. Next will be Riku, then Kairi and so on. :)

Also, thanks for the reviews so far guys. :) I really appreciate it and feel supported so feel free to continue whether it's support or constructive criticism. In response to HC: Sephiroth has been present in BBS, KH and KH2 for one reason or another. I feel like his arc with Cloud would logically have been completed in KH3 so I'm going to portray my interpretation in this Fanfic. :)

Enjoy this chapter! :D

* * *

"M-Master!? Sora exclaimed, eyes wide with shock and confusion. "That's impossible!"

"Um, why?" Ignis replied, an eyebrow raised. He appeared to be equally as confused about Soras reaction.

"Because!" Sora stated, his hands moving in the air as if he could just pluck an answer from nowhere. "The only masters that should be around are the King, Riku and Master Yen Sid!"

"King? Riku?" Ignis seemed far more bewildered now. "I know of that Yen Sid guy but the others are a mystery to me. Did you hit your head or something Kid?"

"Whadya mean did I hit my head? What about you?" Sora looked taken aback. "You can't seriously not know who the King is if you're a Keyblade Master. And don't be disrespectful to Master Yen Sid. He's retired now but still the most powerfu-"

"RETIRED!?" Ignis exclaimed before chuckling, amusement clear in his next words. "He's just barely hit thirty. What's he retiring from? Life?"

Sora looked at the male, mouth open with nothing there to say. Ignis clearly was convinced of what he was saying and the way he was speaking made it seem like he knew Yen Sid personally. Which wasn't possible was it? If there was another Keyblade Master around, then surely they would have been recruited to be a part of the Guardians of the Light by now. But then, he had just walked out of a Corridor to the Darkness and that could mean...

"H-how old do you think Master Xehanort is?" Sora questioned, remembering the anger that came from Ignis the last time he'd mentioned the aging dark Keyblade Master.

"Bout Yen Sid's age, I dunno. Next I guess you're going to ask if I know Eraqus so I'll just put it out there right now that I do." Ignis ran a hand through his hair, clearly annoyed by the questioning. "Also, Xehanort is not to be trusted."

"Gee thanks for the warning." Sora said, uncharacteristically sarcastically.

"What's that supposed to mean huh?" Ignis said, letting his hand drop from his hip back to his side. His fingers flexed as if he was preparing to summon his Keyblade.

"Wait!" Sora said, raising his hands in surrender. "It's just, why wouldn't I know Master Xehanort shouldn't be trusted? He's been threatening the worlds for over a Decade now and we're preparing to bring him and his Organization down!"

"A decade? You knew about what he was and you didn't tell anybody!?" Ignis anger flared up and Sora noted his eyes were suddenly hard. "If you knew what he was going to do and let him go ahead and do it, then that means you're sided with him and I need to bring you down before you can help him hurt anyone else."

"No way! I'd never side with him!" Sora protested, but it was all for naught.

Ignis summoned his Keyblade and Sora noticed his eyes changed from green to a fiery orange as the weapon appeared in his grasp. Summoning the Kingdom Key, Sora brought it up to block a strike and cried out as he was sent flying backwards by the power behind the blow. Recovering himself, Sora jumped to the side to avoid another slash but was too slow to react to the next attack. Ignis slammed his free fist into Soras stomach which caused the brown haired boy to choke and release his weapon. He fell to his knees and began to dry retch, unable to get out the words of explanation out. Not for the first time, he grew annoyed with the fact he'd lost most of his power in the Realm of Sleep.

"Whoever trained you, it wasn't Xehanort." Ignis stated, leveling his Keyblade at the downed boy. "Who is your Master? What is Xehanort planning now? Were my friends lives and the lives of all those at the Academy not enough for him!?"

"D-don't kno-" Sora managed before retching once more, unable to continue.

"Know that I don't take pleasure in this, but for the Light to prevail I MUST take you down." Ignis said, raising his Keyblade high above his head in preparation for a killing blow. Suddenly blasts of darkness infused smoke clouded the area and once they were clear the two were surrounded by dozens of Shadow Heartless. The red haired males eyes widened and he looked down at Sora accusingly. "What Dark power is this?"

"N-not me." Sora spat out, finally regaining his ability to speak. "They are Heartless and if they're here it means that this world is in danger."

"They aren't a problem for me." Ignis stated confidently.

A terrifying roar grabbed both of their attention and the ground started to rumble. Two more roars followed it and nearby trees began to fall down as something raced towards them. Out of the treeline, the Cerberus burst forth and made short work of several of the Heartless before three pairs of eyes set themselves hungrily on the two Keyblade wielders. Ignis raised his eyebrow and let out a humorless chuckle.

"Alright. THAT might be an issue."

* * *

Riku couldn't think straight. As he made a mad dash towards the Pureblood Darkside Heartless, he felt no fear. The voice of caution that usually whispered gently into the back of his mind was completely absent. Instead, he felt only anger. In fact, it was bordering on rage. He felt hot and cold at the same time and his muscles felt tight. His grip on his Keyblade was almost painful and he didn't feel in control of himself. He could hear Mickey protesting behind him but paid it no mind, focusing only on the giant before him.

"ARGH!" Riku cried as he leaped from the ground and slashed across its arm, gathering power in his free hand. Spinning in midair before he hit the ground, he threw a powerful purple flame fueled blast towards it. "TAKE THIS!"

The blast did little to affect the Darkside which only served to make Riku angrier. As a massive fist came in his direction, he took it head on with the flat side of his Keyblade. His feet slid back but quickly found traction and he soon stood tall against the powerful blow with gritted teeth, his hood having been blown back by the force. The Darkside was focused completely on him which gave Mickey the opportunity to leap up on its back and go for the head. The Heartless tried to correct itself but it was too late. Mickeys Keyblade tore through one side of its neck and the being let out a scream that shook the ground below. Knowing it would eventually recover, Riku leaped past the descending King and with both hands finished the job. His Keyblade completely decapitated the Darkside and as he landed on the ground, the now function less body exploded in a wave of Darkness.

Breathing heavily, Riku slowly straightened up and let his Keyblade disappear before he looked down at this hands. They wouldn't stop shaking and he could feel the adrenaline coursing through him. It honestly felt good but he knew what he had just done was a grievous misuse of the powers at his disposal. The quick and easy path, open to all who were tempted instead of the controlled route he had worked so hard to achieve. Guilt fell over him and washed off all feelings of joy at their swift victory over the creature.

"Hey Riku! Come look at this!" Mickeys voice came behind him.

"S-Sure." Riku replied, his voice shaking much like his hands.

He crossed over to where Mickey stood, where the Darkside had been located only moments before. Its residual Darkness remained behind and just standing in the place made Rikus skin crawl and his Heart beat faster in anticipation. Letting the Darkness in years ago had conditioned his Heart to respond eagerly to any form of Darkness and it was a constant battle with his mind to control his urges. He'd thought that control had finally come to him but apparently he was wrong. Rikus eyes studied what Micky held. an orange charm shaped like...

"It looks like a Paupu Fruit." Riku stated, eyebrows raised in surprise. "Actually, the more I look at it the more I'm reminded of Kairi."

"Aqua made these for herself, Terra and Ven before their Mark of Mastery exam. This one is Terras." Mickey explained, sadness in his voice. "She told me they were supposed to keep them together forever. Instead, they were all ripped apart."

"What's it doing here?" Riku asked. "Isn't Terra's body the reason Xemnas looks like that and not the Young Xehanort? From the photos I've seen, he was the one who was Apprenticed under DiZ. And that all happened in the Realm of Light."

"I dunno but it's not a good sign." Mickey stated, putting the charm gently in his pocket before standing up. The King's gentle eyes fell on Riku. "Ya lost it a little back there."

"I don't want to talk about it." Riku said, pulling his hood back up over his face and clenching his fists. "Let's just carry on."

"Okay." Mickey replied, following after his friend with concern clear on his face.

* * *

Sora jumped backwards to avoid the snapping jaws of one of the Cerberus' head's and glanced at Ignis as the older male laughed gleefully as he kicked one of its paws back. He was almost in awe. The apparent Keyblade Masters power was so far beyond Soras at this point. Sure, if Sora was at his full strength he'd probably be less impressed but the sheer fact that Ignis wasn't struggling at all while Sora fumbled around was outright embarrassing. Letting his concentration shift back to the beast of the Underworld, Sora rolled to dodge another attempted bite and smacked his Keyblade into the beasts eye. Instead of receiving a pained yelp like he'd hoped, Sora found fear slipping into him as the beast let out a deep growl.

"Uh oh..." Sora muttered and leaped over a swift paw.

"This is great!" Ignis exclaimed, dancing around the beasts other paw and batting away one of its heats nonchalantly. "Come on puppy. Give me some love."

"How can you be having fun!?" Sora demanded, grunting as he was sent flying.

"I like fighting!" Ignis explained, landing near Sora and defending him. "Once I get in my rhythm its all uphill from there."

"Right." Sora said, picking himself up. "Well if you're so good, finish him off."

"I want to tame him." Ignis stated, glancing towards Sora with a gleam in his orange eyes. "Dont think I've forgotten about you. Once I have this thing under control, we're going to get back to where we left off."

"Oh... yay." Sora grumbled.

"Sora!?" A familiar voice called.

Sora and Ignis looked up to the sky as Hercules came racing towards them atop Pegasus. The demi god leaped off his companions back and landed directly in front of them, receiving a hate fueled roar from each of the Cerberus' heads. Ignoring the beast, Hercules offered the two Keyblade wielders a welcoming smile.

"I was hoping it was you! Your friends are up at the Colosseum." Hercules said to Sora before looking at Ignis. "We haven't met. I'm Hercules."

"Ignis." Ignis replied, offering a slight nod. "If you don't mind, I was just in the middle of making this thing my new pet."

"Unfortunately, Cerberus only answers to the ruler of the Underworld. In this case, my uncle." Hercules stated, amusement in his tone at the prospect of somebody taming the beast. "I'll handle this."

Without waiting for confirmation, Hercules turned around and marched over to the beast. He dodged several rapid attacks before letting out an awe inspiring yell and punching the beast square in the chest. It yelped and was sent flying so far into the distance that they almost lost track of it. When its body finally hit the ground, it felt like a small aftershock. Rubbing his hands together, Hercules crossed back over to them. Ignis stood with his mouth open in shock while Sora gave him a round of applause.

"Now then," Hercules began, whistling for Pegasus. "Shall we go meet up with the others?"

* * *

Kairi and Lea followed the rest of the group out into the walled off Courtyard of the Castle which was set up like a kind of Keyblade Boot camp. Training Dummies and targets were set up as well as an obstacle course and a dueling ring. They all crossed to the dueling ring and Merlin stated that Cloud and Kairi would be going first.

"Remember, this is simply for me to gauge your current skillset. It is not a test and nobody will judge you." Merlin said calmly. "The session will continue until a ring out is achieved or I say otherwise."

"Alright." Kairi replied, stepping into the ring and summoning Destiny's Embrace.

"Are you sure about this old man?" Cloud asked, looking to Merlin. "I don't wanna hurt her."

"Please, you couldn't even hurt a fly." Sephiroth quipped, his arms folded over his chest and a smirk on his face.

"..." Cloud summoned his massive sword and dropped into a battle ready stance, his cool gaze turning on Kairi.

Taking a deep breath, Kairi dashed towards Cloud and swing widely. Despite the size of his weapon and his lean body, Cloud moved deceptively fast and easily blocked the first strike. As Kairi spun to try the same from the other side, Cloud kicked her solidly in the rims and caused her to fall to the ground with a gasp. As her Keyblade clanged on the ground nearby, Kairi looked up at Cloud with a surprised and pained expression.

"Get up." Cloud said in a monotone.

Kairi did as asked and leaped back just in time to avoid a slash from Clouds sword. Summoning her Keyblade back to her hand, Kairi found herself on the defensive and knew she wouldn't last long. Dodging two more strikes, she found herself on the edge of the ring. Cloud didn't hesitate and his sword slammed into Destiny's Embrace, the force of the blow knocking the girl well out of the ring. Lying on the ground, she felt tears filing her eyes. Not at the pain but the fact that she'd been so handily beaten in front of so many people. As she sat up, there was silence except for Tifas footsteps. The older girl knelt beside her and place a hand on her shoulder.

"You did well. Cloud's not one to hold back, even against beginners." Tifa said, an encouraging smile on her face. "Remember, you can only get better from here."

"R-right." Kairi nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes. Letting her Keyblade disappear, she joined the rest of the group in the viewing area.

"It may not seem like it now, but you have the makings of a fine duelist." Merlin stated calmly. "Strength is by no means your forte but you have speed and agility on your side. Combine that with your magical potential and you shall soon be an opponent to be feared."

"I agree." Sephiroth stated simply, heading towards the ring. "Coming Lea?"

"Right behind you big guy." Lea said, shooting Kairi a sympathetic look.

Kairi watched as they entered the ring and her eyes widened as Sephiroth summoned a thin sword that she was sure was longer than his entire body. He dropped into a battle ready position and his trademark smirk appeared on his face. Not one to be intimated, Lea chuckled and summoned his Chakram's to his hands but glanced at Merlin as the wizard cleared his throat loudly.

"Summon your Keyblade. You are here to train in it's use, not to rely on a weapon you have already mastered." Merlin stated in a strict tone.

"Oh yeah, right. Of course." Lea said, letting his Chakrams disappear and summoning his Keyblade to his hand in a brilliant burst of flame. Letting his sword arm drop to his side casually, he raised the other in a taunting fashion towards Sephiroth. "Come on then."

"As you wish." Sephiroth said.

Kairi gasped as Sephiroth disappeared from his spot across the ring and reappeared in front of Lea within an instant, bringing his large sword down towards the red head. Lea blocked it but it was clear he was just as surprised by Sephiroths speed. The next three strikes were ones that Kairi couldn't follow with her eyes and only seen a blur, hearing the strikes of sword meeting Keyblade almost as one. Lea attempted to counter attack with a swift strike towards Sephiroths neck but the silver haired swordsman merely leaned back and chuckled, flipping backwards suddenly and landing far more gracefully than Kairi had ever seen anyone do.

"Not bad." Sephiroth stated, his tone calm and amused. "Should I actually pay attention now?"

"H-hey!" Lea protested, a look of annoyance on his face. "You're not that good man, get over yourself!"

"Not? That? Good?" Sephiroth said each world slowly and carefully before a dark chuckle briefly escaped his lips. "Very well then."

Kairi wasn't sure what happened. In fact, she was sure nobody did. One second Lea was standing there in his battle position and the next he was lying on the ground with his Keyblade outside the ring. Sephiroth was prone on top of him, his sword held in a reverse grip and pressed to the former Nobodies throat. The silver haired mans smirk was smaller than it had been and his eyes held a serious gleam to them. As if he really was about to kill Lea. The tension was palpable and several seconds passed until finally Sephiroth dismissed his weapon, stood up and left the courtyard with a wave over his shoulder.

"You know where I'll be when you next require my assistance." Sephiroths words filled the now silent courtyard and Kairis gaze went back to Lea who was still lying on the ground in shock.

* * *

Luckily, Hercules could freely summon a nicely sized wagon for Pegasus to draw in order for them to reach Olympus. The three of them piled in and Hercules busied himself with directing his companion towards the clouds. Sora looked at Ignis, who was staring off into the distance with his arms folded. From the way his shoulders were tensed, Sora could tell the Keyblade Master was by no means comfortable with their situation and uncomfortable. A warm sensation came from his chest and Sora raised a hand to it, looking down surprised. His Heart was trying to tell him something. To talk to Ignis perhaps?

"Sora was it?" Ignis said, breaking the silence before the brown haired boy could. His eyes fell on Sora, having returned to their green coloration. "I will never trust somebody who collaborates with Xehanort, but this man seems to be pure and he clearly trusts you. Why?"

"I told you before, I'm not working with Master Xehanort." Sora replied, slightly annoyed he had to defend himself yet again.

"You summoned those dark creatures when I had you in a difficult position." Ignis countered.

"Sora? Summon the Heartless?" Hercules let out a hearty laugh, keeping his eyes on the skies ahead. "No way. Sora's helped me fight them off so many times now that it was about time I returned the favor."

"Heartless...?" Ignis said the word carefully before speaking once more. "And you've fought alongside him before against these things?"

"Yeah." Hercules nodded. "Sora and his friends have done so much for us, they are true Heroes."

"Heroes ae?" Ignis stated, clearly not convinced. His gaze swung back to Sora. "You're aware of the rules correct? No interference with the other worlds for any reason. If they are to fall naturally, we cannot challenge fate in such a way. It would upset the balance."

"The Heartless invading the worlds isn't natural. They are controlled by Master Xehanort and Organization Thirteen!" Sora protested.

"Xehanort is their master?" Both of Ignis' eyebrows went up.

"Well, more like he influences them. Just like with the Nobodies and not long ago the Dream Eaters." Sora explained, looking down. "Every time we beat one of his incarnations, Master Xehanort just returns with a new kind of enemy and more allies."

"How many times has he threatened the worlds?" Ignis asked, clearing his throat before adding. "Recently."

"Well, Master Yen Sid say's he tried to destroy the worlds 13 years ago but failed. Then I fought against Ansem, who was his Heartless, who was allied with Maleficent. We beat him, then Xemnas came back with Organization Thirteen and the lesser Nobodies." Sora held up one hand, three fingers raised. "Then he attacked me and Riku during our Mark of Mastery Exam with the New Organization and the Dream Eaters. But we've stopped him each time and I freed the Dream Eaters from his control. so I count four."

"Hmm..." Ignis raised a hand to his chin and was silent for a few moments. "It seems I was trapped within the Realm of Darkness for far longer than I anticipated. I knew nothing about these attacks, not even the one from 13 years ago."

"You seem to have fought him before as well." Sora pressed, glad that the older male was finally done accusing him of things. Well, at least for now.

"I have. But when I did, he didn't have access to armies of these other wordly creatures." Ignis replied, letting out a soft sigh.

"Sorry to interrupt guys. But we're here." Hercules stated.

Sora and Ignis both turned to take in the Colosseum, Ignis appearing particularly impressed. It looked the same as it had throughout Soras many visits, however this time you could see down past the clouds to the forests below. Pegasus soared over the arena itself before gently setting down. As they disembarked, Sora smiled as he noticed Donald, Goofy and Phil all standing there waiting for him.

"Sora!" His two companions roared and raced over to him.

"Donald! Goofy!" Sora replied and embraced his two companions until someone cleared their throat.

"Yeah, yeah nice to see you and all. But if you don't mind me askin, why are you here?" Phil questioned, looking grumpy as always. "Theres no threat to our world that we can't handle."

"Oh that." Sora felt a wave of sadness wash over him but clenched his fists and smiled through it. "I've lost all my power."

"What!?" Hercules and Phil exclaimed. "How?"

"I was in a... test to see if I could become a Master of the Keyblade." Sora explained, doing his best to leave out as many details as he could. "A fallen master caught me and corrupted my heart. Now I can't access my powers. We came here to see if you guys could help me get them back."

"Of course we can." Hercules immediately replied.

"Uh, nuh ah." Phil said, crossing his arms with a snarl. "I haven't got the time. What with Hades on the loose again. I don't even know who the red head is."

"I am Master Ignis." Ignis cut in, politely nodding his head.

"Yeah great. Cool for you." Phil said dismissively. "Look, I'm sorry for your loss and all Sora, but you can't just come here expecting a reboot of your powers. You're only young anyway, you've got plenty of time to naturally get them back."

"But you don't understand. I NEED them back. The worlds ar-" Sora began but was cut off by a female rushing over to them.

"Herc!" She called, reaching them and gasping for air.

"What is it Antiope? Whats wrong?" Hercules replied, concern clear on her face.

"It's Meg." Antiope replied, her blonde hair mopped with sweat. "She's gone and all that was left in her room was some scorch marks."

"Hades? How?" Phil's shock was clear on his face.

"We need to get her back!" Sora exclaimed, determination on his face.

"Kid, you've just got done explaining about how you've lost all your strength. We ain't sending you." Phil rolled his eyes.

"But I can help!" Sora tried again.

"Hes right!" Donald joined in. "We're Heroes too!"

"Yeah! We'll protect Sora and get Meg back." Goofy added.

"Ya can't fight at your fullest while looking out for someone elses safety. It doesn't work that way." Phil said stubbornly as Hercules and Antiope looked on.

"I'll go with them." Ignis cut in.

"You? We don't even know you!" Phil said with exasperation. "You're no Hero."

"Perhaps, but I am a skilled warrior." An eager smirk spread across Ignis' face. "Besides, I want to meet that Cerberus again."

* * *

Riku was tired of being in the Realm of Darkness. They had only been there for maybe a day in the outside world, but he was done. Already, he could feel his carefully placed blocks on his inner Darkness being pressured again and he felt like he would only be a burden to Mickey. But then, there was no way Mickey could successfully find Aqua alone and get her out. Not with the Organization out there. He clenched his fists and carried on walking, spending all of his brainpower focusing that he almost walked straight into a Corridor of Darkness that had opened. If not for Mickey quickly pulling him back, he may have been lost to the Guardians of Light. As he summoned Way to the Dawn and Mickey summoned Kingdom Key-D, Riku narrowed his eyes as a tall figure stepped out in an Organization cloak. His hood was down and he had white hair, amber eyes and darkened skin.

"Xemnas!" Riku snarled.

"Terra!?" Mickey gasped at the same time.

The figure's eyes narrowed and a frown appeared on his face but he made no move to attack. Instead he seemed to freeze up for a moment, before reaching for his head and letting out a series of protests and growls. After a few moments of this, Riku felt it was time to seize the advantage and attack but Mickey held up a hand in caution. Looking down at his regal companion, Riku noticed the concern on Mickeys face and wondered why. His eyes snapped back to the man who straightened up and opened his eyes, now a startling blue.

"Terra, it is you!" Mickey exclaimed, letting his Keyblade disappear.

"Mickey?" Terra said cautiously, shaking his head. He sounded tired. "What are you doing here? Where are we?"

"The Realm of Darkness." Riku provided, his Keyblade still drawn.

"Of course. It's coming back to me." Terra clenched his fists. "I wonder how long I'll remain in control this time..."

"Whadya mean?" Mickey asked.

"Xehanort merged his heart with mine to take control of my body 13 years ago." Terra explained, his voice shaking as he spoke. "I've been fighting him for control ever since. The things he's made me do..."

"I know the feeling." Riku said dryly, relaxing but keeping his Keyblade materialized. "You can see everything they're doing but can't stop them."

"I can sometimes. Like now for example... but I wasn't trying to." Terra looked to Mickey and concern crossed his face. "Aqua, is she okay?"

"We're actually here looking for her." Mickey stated, a look of remembrance crossing his face as he pulled out Terras way finder and holding it up towards him. "We found this earlier."

"Here?" Terra's expression changed to one of worry and he stepped backwards. "Get back! He wanted you to be here! Save the fallen worlds!"

"Wh-what?" The King asked, clearly confused.

Riku threw himself in front of Mickey and his Keyblade clashed with a black one as Terra lunged forward suddenly. Their eyes locked briefly and Riku felt a shiver of fear run down his spine as the glowing amber orbs glared at him. They were the eyes of a predator, looking at its prey. Terra let out a growl and attacked, his voice sounding deeper than it had before. Riku blocked the strike, grunting under the sheer strength behind it and then another. Fearing he was going to be overwhelmed, Riku breathed a sigh of relief as Mickey jumped forward and together they put the dark figure on the defensive. Riku blocking each attack with gritted teeth while Mickey moved in each time to counter.

Their movements were fast, increasing in speed as the duel went on and slowly but surely they were pushing the man back. But something still seemed off. Riku could feel himself struggling to keep up with the attacks and the power behind them, but for some reason Terra had a smirk on his face even as he defended against Mickeys attacks. In the same breath, Terra would bat aside one of the Kings blows to try and strike Riku down and it didn't seem like it was bothering him all that much.

"Ahh boy..." Terra said, his tone matching the smirk on his face. " I can sense the Darkness within you. If half of your concentration is spent on keeping it contained, how do you plan on besting me?"

"Don't listen to him Riku!" Mickey yelled.

"Why hold back such impressive potential?" Terra continued, almost casually blocking a strike from Mickey before disappearing from view. Riku smelled the Darkness coming behind them and managed to dodge just in time but Mickey was not so lucky and cried out as he was sent slamming into a nearby rock. He stirred on the ground, but didn't get back up immediately. As Riku took several small steps back, Terra chuckled and stared him down. "Fear? No, you don't seem like the type to run from something that scares you. Perhaps your regret over what you did to your friends fuels this insipid notion that you need to keep it sealed away?"

"Don't analyze me!" Riku yelled, jumping forward to bring his Keyblade down on Terras. "I don't need the Darkness!"

"Foolish child." Terra held the blade lock and leaned in so that his face was close to Rikus. "If you will not unleash the power repressed within that shell of yours, then I will just have to break you open!"

Riku's eyes broke from the stare to the space behind Terra where a figure of Light was forming. It had the same face, but his hair was brown, his skin a fairer complexion and his eyes blue. He lunged forward and grabbed onto the physical Terra, pulling him backwards and away from Riku. Stunned by what had just happened, Riku glanced to the side as Mickey joined him. The Mouses coat was in tatters but he didn't appear to be wounded.

"RUN!" The Light Terra cried, grunting as he struggled to keep a hold of the physical one.

"WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE AGAINST ME!?" The physical Terra, who Riku now realized was Xehanort, grunted.

"Riku we have to go." Mickey stated, regret clear in his tone.

"Y-yeah." Riku replied, turning his back on the scene before him. Together, the pair ran and didn't look back.

* * *

Maleficent stepped out from behind a tree, almost surprising Hades who was sitting on a rock located on a cliff side that overlooked a massive valley. The God of the Underworlds upper lip curled in distaste at the sight of the Dark Faerie, memories of his previous allegiance with her rushing back to him. Turning his gaze back to the valley, he pointedly ignored her as she approached.

"It has been some time." Maleficent spoke up, her voice holding an elegant quality to it.

"Not long enough." Hades stated dismissively, waving his hand. "Go irritate somebody else with your honeyed words and failed plans."

"You cannot regain access to the Underworld." Maleficent replied, more a statement than a question. Hade's eyes snapped to her immediately and he glared at her. "A touchy subject?"

"What do you want, Maleficent?" Hades growled, his temper threatening to overtake him.

"Your assistance of course." Maleficent came to stand beside him, now the one looking out at the Valley. "There is a war coming, one that will decide the status quo of the Worlds. I intend to be the victor but I cannot do it alone."

"Aren't you supposed to have supreme control of those Heartless of yours? Use those as your canon fodder." Hades let out a short breath.

"Unfortunately, there is another who shares that ability now." Maleficent's tone made it clear she held a deep hatred for this person. It almost brought a smile to Hades' face to see it. "But if we were to work together, I'm certain we could overcome this obstacle."

"I'm just gunna speak frankly, because clearly you're not getting it." Hades stood up. "Whatever you're selling, I ain't buying. Not after the last time."

"Not even if I can get your access to your precious otherworldly domain back?" A sly grin appeared on the females face.

"... I'm listening." Hades let out an irritated sigh, annoyed at himself just as much as her. It WAS a problem he had yet to come up with a solution to and Maleficent was known to be a cunning strategist.

"A simple bargain." Maleficent waved her hand and a cloud of smoke appeared in front of them. It shifted to a room where Megara was lying on a table, out cold. "Her life for access."

"Blackmail huh? A little old fashioned, but effective." Hades stroked his chin before rolling his eyes. "I've tried stuff like this before. The Heroes always manage to get the upper hand."

"Not this time." Maleficent let the smoke disperse. "I will keep her in a secure location while you draw them to the table. "

"Fine fine, but one more thing. You being here, that means that Sora brat is here too right?" Hades narrowed his eyes. "He's a problem."

"Not anymore. It appears he's had his powers stripped from him by the very person who keeps me from achieving my goals." Maleficents shook her head. "In another time, we would be allies. However, snuffing out his light here is important to the plan. It shouldn't be a problem for you."

Hades was about to continue but frowned as she disappeared from view in a cloud of green smoke. Letting out a sigh, he rubbed his face with his hand and groaned loudly.

"Hades, you're an idiot." He grumbled to himself before whistling. Almost immediately, the ground began to shake.

* * *

Sora, Donald, Goofy and Ignis had been brought back down to the surface after Hercules convinced Phil to let them help out. Hercules and Pegasus were off to check that the entrance to the Underworld was still secure while the team began their search. As they walked, Sora found himself looking at Ignis again. The man had a thoughtful expression on his face and Sora wondered what he was thinking about. He supposed he should just be grateful that the Keyblade Master wasn't attacking him anymore. If their last confrontation was anything to go by, Ignis would easily beat him in this state. Looking down at one of his hands, Sora wished again that he hadn't lost his abilities. He was starting to feel like such a burden.

"Whats wrong Sora?" Donald asked, the Duck moving to walk beside him.

"N-nothing." Sora replied, forcing a smile onto his face.

"Come on Sora." Goofy appeared on the other side of the boy. "Only real smiles here."

"I'm sorry." Sora let out a heavy sigh and his expression dropped. "Its just... I feel like I'm back at square one."

"With Phil's training, you'll be back in top form in no time!" Donald said encouragingly.

"Yeah..." Sora replied, not convinced.

Before the conversation could continue, the ground began to shake furiously. Everybody summoned their weapons and just as they dropped into their battle positions, Cerberus burst out of the treeline and went straight for Sora. Goofy jumped in front and raised his shield, casting a powerful Protega spell enchanted within the shield that stopped the beast dead in its tracks. Briefly stunned, Cerberus was defenseless as Donald raised his staff and called a series of Thundaga spells down upon it. Crying out in pain, the hellhound was left open to Ignis who leaped high into the air to land on the beast back.

"Nice to see you again!" Ignis laughed, pointing his Keyblade towards the beasts middle head. "Now heel!"

Ignis' Keyblade lit up and a series of chains made of Light burst forth, wrapping themselves around the beasts necks like a leash. Sora, Donald and Goofys mouths dropped open in awe as they had never seen Light Magic used in such a frank way before. Ignis gritted his teeth and began to struggle, the Cerberus proving to be far more than his physical match. As the best kicked up suddenly, Ignis was thrown from its back and crashed into the ground. Rolling up to his feet, the Keyblade Master smacked away its paw with his weapon and frowned.

"Bad dog." Ignis said, looking towards the other three. "Hey duck! Use Graviga!"

"My NAME is Donald!" Donald called back grumpily but raised his staff. "HAH"

Cerberus yelped as it was suddenly lifted off the ground and into the air above them. It snapped desperately in all directions but to no avail. Sora looked at Ignis who, in a flash of light, was covered in a strange armor that resembled something they had previously fought not long before the battle against Xemnas. His eyes widened as an aura of Firaga surrounded the male and he dashed into the air. Striking the beast again and again, Ignis continued to assault the beast with his speed increasing each time he landed a hit. This continued for several more blows until Ignis hit the ground, dismissed his Keyblade then leaped back again and kicked with so much momentum that it sent out a brief shockwave. Cerberus crashed into the ground and Ignis landed in front of the boys, his armor disappearing and his breaths coming fast.

"W-wow..." Sora, Donald and Goofy said in unison.

Cerberus got up slowly, roaring at them before limping back into the forest. Ignis let out a sigh of relief before turning to the boys with a victorious smile on his face. Upon seeing their expressions, Donald and Goofy of admiration and Sora's of something resembling envy, he raised an eyebrow.

"What?" He said, scratching the back of his head with his right hand.

"That was INCREDIBLE!" Donald replied.

"Thanks." Ignis chuckled before noticing Soras expression had gone blank. "Whats wrong Sora? Are you hurt?"

"I... I couldn't do anything." Sora replied quietly, his eyes having fallen to the ground.

"Hey now." Ignis said. "I was just showing off. You can have your turn next time."

"Next time?" Sora whispered before his body relaxed and he looked up with a wide smile. "Yeah of course! I'll show you what I've got!"

"Why don't we follow Cerberus' footprints?" Goofy suggested. "Maybe it will lead us to Meg?"

"Good idea." Sora stated, leading the group after the hellhound.

* * *

"I told you he shouldn't be trusted." Cloud's quiet voice broke the silence that had been left in Sephiroths wake.

"Come now my boy." Yen Sid turned to look at him. "If you'll take note, he didn't harm Lea at all. Well, his ego might be bruised but that will heal quickly."

"Thats true." Aeleus stated with a harsh chuckle. "Though in the Organization he was considered one of our best. To see him get smacked around like that? Sephiroth is a beast."

"He's definitely impressive." Kairi added.

"DONT compliment him!" Cloud snapped, anger evident in his voice. "He's a monster who cares about nothing except himself!"

"Cloud..." Tifa tried but was cut off.

"NO. I wont work with him. I WONT!" Cloud snarled before storming out of the area.

Everybody watched him go in silence once more. Kairi looked to Tifa, Aerith and Yuffie, the two who had been standing closest to him, and took note of their concerned expressions. Although Tifas was softer. To Kairi, it was a familiar look to her. She recognized the gaze of someone watching somebody they loved walk away. Too many times had she used the same expression in regards to Sora and Riku. Lea, who had recovered himself, made his way over to them and let out a soft chuckle.

"So whats the verdict boss?" He asked, looking at Merlin.

"Room for improvement I'd say." Merlin stated. "That's enough for now. I'll leave you all to get better acquainted and return tomorrow to begin the training in earnest."

"Okay..." Lea stated, watching the wizard disappear in a blast of light. Turning to look at Aeleus, his expression changed to one of concern. "How are Dilan and Even?"

"Still unstable. Ienzo is in the lab pouring through Xehanort and Ansem's notes." Aeleus replied. "He actually wanted to see you when you got back. About Isa."

"Right." Lea's expression hardened for a moment before he turned to look at Kairi. "I'll see you later?"

"Sure." Kairi replied politely, watching as the two former nobodies left the courtyard. Turning to the remaining people, she frowned. "Why does Cloud dislike Sephiroth so much?"

"He's the embodiment of Clouds inner darkness." Leon stated simply.

"And his rival." Yuffie added.

"The embodiment of it? Like a Heartless?" Kairi asked, confused.

"Not exactly." Aerith spoke up, her voice calm. " Technically Sephiroth existed before Cloud but ever since meeting, he's had this strange fascination with him. He even followed Cloud here from another world."

"What world?" Kairi asked.

"Cloud wont' tell us." Tifa sighed, folding her arms over her chest. "He's not one to open up about his past."

"How does Sephiroth know you girls?" Kairis mind was working overtime to piece together the story from the information she had.

"We've figured out that we all came from the same world. Except for Leon." Yuffie said. "Everything's still fuzzy, but when we first met Sephiroth we all instantly recognized him."

"I'm going to go find him. Sephiroth I mean." Kairi replied, turning towards the exit. "If he's fascinated with Cloud, I think it would be for the best if we know why. It might help them come to an understanding of eachother."

"I don't think thats a good idea." Leon cautioned the girl.

"I'll be fine." Kairi stated confidently as she headed for the exit.

* * *

It didn't take long for Sora and company to reach a cliffside overlooking the valley below, following the footprints left behind by the massive hellhound. The beast was curled up beside Hades who was casually standing there with a hand on one of the heads in a small show of affection that Sora felt was out of character for the villain. As they approached and summoned their weapons, Hades finally turned to take them all in with a smirk on his face. Beside him, Cerberus whimpered and one of his heads began licking at a patch of fur that was obviously injured from their previous run in.

"First you hurt my dog and now you barge in to my personal space with your weapons drawn." Hades chuckled, shaking his head in mock disbelief. "I don't remember doing something to warrant this aggression."

"We know you have Meg!" Donald accused the God, pointing his staff towards the deity. "Give her back!"

"Me?" Hades placed one long fingered hand over his chest in false innocence.

"Yeah, you!" Goofy added, his shield already raised. They had battled Hades before and he knew better than to let his guard down.

"I'll have you know I haven't touched little miss sassy pants." Hades rolled his eyes. "For your information, I've been here all day."

"There's scorch marks in her room from when you took her!" Sora stated, his voice as accusing as Donalds.

"So suddenly I'M the only person who uses fire? Right." Hades smirked again before continuing. "Look, I don't have the girl but I CAN negotiate her release. But I'll only talk with loverboy, not his little sidekicks."

"Sidekicks!?" Sora, Donald and Goofy all exclaimed.

"This is taking way too long." Ignis interrupted, stepping forward and pointing his Keyblade towards Hades. "Hand her over or I'll smack you around a bit til you do."

"Are you threatening me?" Hade's smirk disappeared and beside him Cerberus' heads all turned towards them and growled.

"I'm just making a promise of aggression." Ignis replied coolly.

"Aggression huh?" Hades narrowed his eyes before he suddenly exploded with power. His skin turned red, his hair from blue to green flame and his eyes took on a glowing quality. Beside him, Cerberus stood up. "I'LL SHOW YOU AGGRESSION!"

Hades disappeared and appeared in front of Ignis, raising his hand to block a swift attack from the Keyblade Master. Sora watched Ignis' eyes widen in confusion as his weapon bounced harmlessly off the Gods forearm and tried again only to have the same effect. Hades chuckled and disappeared, only for Cerberus to race forward with one of his heads aiming to chomp the red head up. Ignis jumped backwards, only for Hades to appear beside him in midair. Donald raised his staff and fired a Firaga at the God, who held up a hand to block it, and Ignis retreated to stand beside the others. Hades appeared to the left of his Hellhound, a dark smile on his changed face.

"Get them!" He ordered.

Cerberus attacked and like before Goofy jumped to the front and cast Protega. This time however, Cerberus barged it's shoulder into the barrier instead of its heads and a noticeable crack appeared in the magical shield. As Hades looked on, Cerberus began to assault the barrier with its powerful paws. Each strike created more and more cracks until it was on the edge of breaking.

"Do somethin!" Goofy cried out, clearly struggling.

"Take this!" Donald cried, raising his staff to the sky. However, a hand wrapped around his staff and all eyes fell on Hades who was now standing there.

"I dont think so." Hades stated, lifting Donald up and tossing the magician aside. He then summoned a ball of fire in his palm and looked to Sora. "This is for foiling my plans too many times!"

The God threw the flame at Sora and it approached at a surprising speed. Sora dodged to the side but it followed him and a game of cat and mouse began as Sora tried to keep up his dodging without being struck by it. Ignis jumped in front of him and slashed through the attack, but it exploded and surrounded the area in dust and smoke. The shockwave threw Goofy aside and so his spell broke and Sora's eyes widened as he was enveloped by the cloud of smoke. After a few seconds, the cloud began to clear and Ignis stood there with his armor activated through there was a slight dent in the chest piece.

"Aren't you full of surprises?" Sarcasm and Annoyance laced Hade's words and he summoned two more fireballs, one in each hand.

"You have no idea." Ignis replied, his voice altered slightly by his helmet. He turned his head to look at Sora. "You guys handle the puppy. I'll take the old man."

"R-right." Sora said, putting his back to Ignis and facing down the Hellhound. On either side of him, Goofy and Donald arrive with their weapons raised. "Lets go!"

Sora and Goofy dashed forward, the Knight jumping in to block a strike from the paw while the Keyblade wielder leaped over him and slashed at one of its heads. It seemed to have no effect and the beast batted Sora away before being shocked by a Thundaga cast by Donald. At the same time Donald cast Aeroga, giving Sora a comfortable landing. Behind them, Ignis cut through the Fireballs and dashed towards Hades, seemingly unaffected by the explosions that happened when the spells made contact. Ignis finally got in close and slashed across Hades chest but instead of doing damage, his attack bounced off as it made contact. Hades laughed and punched him square in the face, grabbing his leg as he was lifted into the air by the strike and slamming him down into the ground hard. Holding his hand to the Keyblade Masters face, Hades narrowed his eyes with his smirk widening.

"Lets see how that armor stands up to a point blank blast." Hades said, releasing a blast of fire which sent out another shockwave.

"Ignis!" Sora called, but was forced to concentrate on his own fight.

Sora, Donald and Goofy had made their way to the other side of the beast in an attempt to flank it but that proved to be the wrong decision. Now standing on the edge of the cliff, they found themselves herded in by Cerberus' viscous jaws. As Goofy blocked another attack, three pairs of eyes watched as Hades picked up the still armored form of Ignis and casually tossed him overhead and past the edge of the cliff.

"No!" Sora cried.

"Enough of this!" Hades said, casually blasting the trio off the edge of the cliff as well.

It was a short and fast fall. Donald, being the quick thinker that he was, used Aeroga to cushion their fall so that when they hit the ground they didn't sustain any fall damage. Ignis however slammed into the stone floor and created a small crater. Sora rushed over and knelt beside the male, looking down at him with concern. The left half of Ignis' mask was gone and a single orange eye was staring up at the top of the cliff where a now blue Hades and Cerberus stood.

"I'm..." Ignis coughed before letting out a short breath and continuing. ".. going to get him back for this."

"I'll only negotiate Megaras release with the 'mighty' Hercules!" Hades announced from his elevated position. "But since you insist on fighting, I present you with a partner who is more than up for the challenge!"

The God of the Underworld snapped his fingers and almost instantly a body began to grow from the ground comprised of rocks. Hades laughed and disappeared in a flash of blue flames alongside Cerberus as the rock being grew larger and larger. Once it was finally the size of a large building, it stood up and looked down at the four of them. It had two heads and each of them let out a ferocious roar as Ignis stood up and dismissed his armor. He summoned his Keyblade and shook his head in disbelief.

"This day just keeps getting more interesting..."

* * *

Kairi entered the Library and was surprised to see that her instinct was correct. Sephiroth stood beside one of the many bookcases, holding a black covered book open and reading a passage from it thoughtfully. Summoning her courage, Kairi crossed over to the male and his blue eyes shifted slowly from the pages to her face. She almost stopped in her tracks under the scrutiny of his keen gaze but pressed on until she was standing beside him.

"What are you reading?" She said, using the most generic conversation opener ever.

"One of Ansem the Wises journals. It details the effects of the Darkness on a... normal person." Sephiroth replied, closing the book and tucking it under his arm. "You followed me here?"

"I did." Kairi nodded.

"Why?" Curiosity was clear in the mans clear blue eyes.

"I had some questions for you. About your past." Kairi replied, choosing to sit down at a table and gesturing at a seat opposite her.

"Very well." Sephiroth let out a dry chuckle before taking his place and raising an eyebrow. "What would you like to know?"

"The others mentioned that you were Clouds 'Darkness'." Kairi began. "What do they mean by that?"

"It's fairly self explanatory. Ever since I've met Cloud, something has changed within me. Before him, I was just another contestant in the Coliseum. Every day I would fight and every day I would win. Easily. He gave me my first real challenge" Sephiroth explained, chuckling again. "He hated me from the first day. I killed the person he looked up to. Hades once told me that Cloud was present for the match and that started him down his path for revenge. Truly, it's one of the greatest flaws in the human Heart. The forming of bonds and the effect on a persons mind when those bonds are forcibly taken away."

"You speak as if you're not human." Kairi replied, tilting her head to the side curiously.

"Do humans have these?" Sephiroth gestured to the wing growing from his shoulder blade. "I don't remember the world I'm originally from but I believe that there I was some kind of God or Deity. From Tifa, Yuffie and Aeriths reactions to me, I also believe that my role was that of the villain."

"You don't remember?" Kairi asked.

"No. Cloud is the same." Sephiroth stated simply. "According to one of Ansems journals, it's possible that the Heart of our world was destroyed or perhaps corrupted. He speculates that the destruction would result in the breakdown and disappearance of all those who hailed from that world while its corruption could result in amnesia. Obviously, we're all here so I lean towards the latter explanation."

"Everybody would just fade away?" Empathy flowed into the young womans Heart.

"Only those who's Hearts were not strong enough to survive without it. For example, you Princesses of Heart would remain unaffected by it." The man's tone was patient, nothing like Kairi had expected from the way Cloud and the others spoke about him.

"We do have many unique abilities." Kairi agreed.

"What about you?" Sephiroth stood up and crossed to the center of the room, staring out the massive window calmly. "Where do you come from?"

"A place called Destiny Islands." Kairi replied, a smile on her face as she too stood up. "It's the most beautiful place in all the worlds. It once fell to Darkness, but Sora and Riku brought it back."

"Sora..." Sephiroth said the boys name slowly. "I've met that one. Not that long ago, I battled him right here when this world was known as Hollow Bastion. I won, but he gave me an impressive challenge."

"He's won so many great battles. He defeated Xehanorts Heartless, Xemnas and the Organization." Kairi smiled affectionately as she spoke. "And now he's somewhere in the Worlds, building up his strength to face down Master Xehanort."

"You admire him." Sephiroth stated.

"I..." Kairi paused and considered his next words. "I want to be like him. Somebody who can protect their friends and not be the one who needs to be rescued all the time."

"Then that is your weakness. Focusing on being like somebody else instead of building up your power based on your own merits and skill." Sephiroth turned to her, a frown on his face and his tone suddenly cold. "You and Cloud are so similar. Held back by your need to live up to expectations set by others."

"But Cloud is so strong." Kairi frowned, surprised by the change of emotions in the man.

"Yet he continues to fail in his goal of destroying me, because of his own hubris. It's pathetic quite honestly." Sephiroths eyes narrowed and he summoned his sword.

"Wh-" Kairi started, eyes widening in fear as the swordsman leaped towards her with the intent to kill written all over his face.

* * *

Sora, Ignis, Donald and Goofy all dashed back up the side of the cliff, Sora happy that at the very least he hadn't lost that ability. They dodged out of the way of several boulders that the Rock Titan was hurling down at them and reached the top quickly. Goofy raised his shield to defend himself as the Titan suddenly swung its hand down towards him and the Knight let out a cry of pain before falling unconscious as he was thrown violently back off the cliff side.

"Goofy!" Donald cried, casting Aeroga to keep his friend from futher injury. As Goofy gently rested back down on the ground below, his shield disappeared and he didn't stir.

"No!" Sora looked down and was thrown to the side by Ignis who grunted as he blocked a strike from the Titan and slid back several meters.

"Focus on the enemy in front of you! We can just cast a healing spell on him once we win." Ignis instructed, raising his hand and firing a Firaga at the Titans body. It seemed to have little effect. "I can't summon my armor back yet. It needs time to mend. Any ideas on how to handle this thing?"

"I'll try this!" Donald called, raising his staff towards the beast. "RUINGA!"

A small ball of light magic was shot from his staff and quickly impacted against the Titans chest. The power erupting from it as it made contact exploded outwards and the Titan actually took a step backwards to recover its balance. Donald made to charge up the attack again but was caught off guard by a deceptively swift kick from the Titan. Taking the full impact, Donald slammed into a nearby rock and fell to the ground with a groan, not getting back up.

"Donald!" Sora cried in despair at the sight of another friend being so violently attacked. He looked down and tears filled his eyes, thoughts of his inadequacy and inability to protect his friends racing through his mind. "I..."

"Sora!" Ignis called but the voice was swept away from Soras focus by the boys thoughts. His next words were completely muffled as Sora fell to his knees and clutched his head.

"I... I can't do anything..." Sora's tears fell from his eyes and he trembled.A pang of pain hit his chest and his mind suddenly went blank.

 **"Release me."** A voice whispered in the back of his mind. **"I can help."**

"Who are you?" Sora whispered in return.

 **"A friend."** The voice stated. It sounded almost playful. **"Your friends are your power remember?"**

"Y-yeah..." Sora agreed before nodding. "Okay. Help me."

A dark chuckle filled his mind and suddenly power exploded outwards from Sora but it didn't feel nice. It slithered over his entire body slowly like a million spiders and quickly covered most of him but his head. As it came up to cover his head, he began to regret his decision but it was too late for that now. It covered him completely and he stood up slowly. Everything was heightened. He could hear Donald and Goofys heartbeats, slow but there. He could feel the ground trembling under the weight of the Rock Titan and Ignis' calls for help. However, they stopped and Sora could feel Ignis staring at him. But he didn't care. Whatever this was, it was going to help him keep his friends safe. The Rock Titan attempted to kick him and Sora let out a chuckle that didn't sound like his own voice, raising one hand. It impacted powerfully but he felt no pain and didn't move one bit. Looking up at Ignis, Sora's mouth opened and a dark being from within let out a gut wrenching scream of anger.

"Wh-what is that?" Ignis asked himself, looking upon Sora. It was like Sora had been covered completely with Darkness, from the tips of his wild hair to his somewhat oversized shoes. A small crown sat on the left side of his head and his eyes were wide and yellow. Like a Heartless. Tendrils of darkness were leaking off him and he casually held the Rock Titans foot in place. "This can't be real. That power. That Darkness... from him? Where was it hiding?"

The Rock Titan's fist hit the ground where this Anti-Sora had been standing but the Darkness empowered boy was faster, skidding to a halt near to Ignis and perched on all fours. It glanced at the Keyblade Master and snarled but turned its attention back to the Rock Titan, clearly the bigger threat at that moment. Ignis watched in shock as Sora scaled it's legs, up to its body and finally its head in the blink of an eye. He punched one of its heads so hard that it went flying off before leaping into the air high above it. Coming down hard, he slammed his fist into the Rock Titan and went straight down the middle. The Rock Titan let out one final roar of pain before each side of it fell to the ground and ceased to move. Anti-Sora landed gingerly and turned towards Ignis.

"Crap..." Ignis muttered, raising his Keyblade.

As Anti-Sora appeared beside Ignis, the Keyblade Master brought up his weapon to block a punch and twisted to the side to avoid a follow up kick. Skidding to a halt, he attempted to round house kick the being of darkness in the face but the impact did little more than receive an irritated growl from his opponent. Ignis dodged another attack but failed to move out of the way of a playful kick from Anti-Sora, bringing up his arms to shield himself. Sent flying backwards, he recovered and landed on his feet to stare down his new enemy.

"This can't be the same person. His technique went from predictable to wild and savage." Ignis stated, bracing himself as Anti-Sora let out a howl.

However, the attack he prepared for did not come. As he howled, the Darkness began to strip itself away from Sora until he was standing there staring up at the sky with a blank expression on his face. His clothes had been burned away for the most part and there were gashes in his skin where the Darkness had clearly latched onto him. Letting out a whine, Sora's eyes rolled back in his head as he tumbled to the ground. Ingis rushed over to him while Pegasus flew overhead, drawn to the location of the epic battle.

* * *

Riku and Mickey bent half over, each of them gasping for breath. They had run for a time that was unknown to them after their encounter with Xehanort and Terra and finally felt it was safe to stop. Well as safe as it could be in a realm where literally everything wanted to kill them. Looking himself over, Mickey discarded his coat. His outfit consisted of a short sleeved black jacket with golden stars scattered across it, red shorts that had mesh across the lower half and of course yellow shoes. The jacket had a hood shaped like his head and he wore white gloves. The King pulled out Terras Wayfinder and stared at it sadly.

"I can't believe hes had to live like that for thirteen years..." Mickey said with regret in his tone. "If I had know, I woulda done something."

"A reckless rescue attempt huh?" Riku said ironically.

"That was different. We had no way to get here to save Aqua. But I could have saved Terra." Mickey put the Wayfinder in his pocket and sighed. "I'm sure Ansem the Wise coulda figured something out to separates Master Xehanorts Heart from his."

"Take it from me Mickey, you can't let yourself fall into what if scenarios. Especially in the Realm of Darkness." Riku counseled his friend, slightly amused by the change in their roles. Tearing off his own damaged coat, he looked at the ground. His new clothes were fitted dark purple jeans, a white tank top and a black and yellow vest that reached past his waist down to the back of his knees. He wore black combat boots and white finger less gloves. Kneeling down, he ran his fingers across the ground and was surprised to find it was sand. "Hey Mickey... the ground has changed."

"Look." Mickey said, pointing towards the distance.

Riku looked up and his eyes widened as he took in the entrance to the Cave of Wonders, clenching his fists in anger. This meant that Aladdins world had fallen to the Darkness and was now trapped within the Heartless' domain. He wondered how this had happened but shook his head. They needed to go and see if they could help. If Jasmine was also trapped in this place, it could mean catastrophic things for the worlds at large. Setting his face with determination, he began to walk towards the Cave of Wonders' entrance with Mickey following close behind. He would save their world from the Heartless and restore it to the Realm of Light.


	5. The Mysteries of the Heart

Authors Note

Well, here's the next chapter! A long as wait, I know. But thats what happens when Uni becomes a thing! :) Reviews are appreciated as always guys!

* * *

Riku and Mickey reached the entrance to the Cave of Wonders and immediately the silver haired boy felt his survival instincts kick into overdrive. Even here, in a Realm literally saturated in Darkness, he could smell the stench of a Heart wrapped in ill intent. He summoned his Keyblade and brought it up protectively, noting that Mickey did the same although the King had a confused expression on his face.

"Whats wrong Riku?" Mickey asked, looking around.

"We're not alone." Riku said, glaring into the darkened entrance of the Cave of Wonders. Pointing his weapon forth, he growled. "Show yourself!"

"Oh very well." A cultured male voice replied, Jafar stepping out of the shadows with a smirk on his face. The man was unusually disheveled, his robes torn and his turban missing. His black hair fell freely, the string like strands falling across his face. He was also missing his staff. "I wasn't expecting to see you here, boy."

"Jafar." Riku narrowed his eyes, letting his sword arm fall to his side but staying on alert. "Are you the one that's behind Agrabah falling to the Darkness?"

"Partially..." Jafar replied, drawing out the 'y' sound and smacking his lips. "A man in a black coat summoned the Heartless to my world and left them to it. With the position of their master vacant, I simply stepped in and took over. The Heart of the world is an irritatingly resilient thing."

"Where is the rest of Agrabah?" Mickey demanded.

"Oh... I got rid of all that." Jafar waved his hand dismissively and peered out from his hair. "I've peeled away the outer layers. Now the core is all that remains."

"Monster!" Riku growled and leaped towards the sorcerer with his weapon raised.

Way to the Dawn swung down to the spot where Jafar had been standing, but the former Vizier side stepped at the last moment with a sly chuckle. Growling again the young Keyblade Master swung upwards in a diagonal arc that was meant to cut across the older males chest but again Jafar dodged, this time by taking a step backwards. His smirk intact, Jafar raised his hand towards the ground and moments later Pureblood Neoshadows pulled themselves up from the depths of the Realm of Darkness at the behest of their new master.

As Riku and Mickey covered one another's backs to hold of the savage creatures, Jafar disappeared back into the entrance of the cave with a smug string of laughter following him. The two Keyblade Masters cut down their enemies quickly, their movements perfectly synced as always and soon enough they were once again alone at the mouth of the Cave of Wonders. Letting their weapons disappear, Riku stepped towards the entrance but looked down as Mickey grabbed his hand.

"Riku, slow down." The King cautioned, releasing the boys hand. "We need to think this through. He wants us to follow him."

"And? You heard him! He's destroying what remains of Agrabah!" Riku tore his hand away and proceeded into the mouth of the cave. With a sigh, Mickey followed behind.

* * *

Kairi summoned Destiny's Embrace but was still too slow as Sephiroth had already crossed the distance. Instead of attacking her however, she watched as the silver haired man moved past her and brought his weapon up to clash with another in a resounding slam that shook the entire library. Spinning around, Kairi noticed it was a man in one of the Organizations coats with the hood pulled up and a rather large and strange looking weapon grasped in his hands. It was like a sword but the business end was expanded into a circular shape with seven points sticking out around it.

"Who are you?" Sephiroth demanded, holding his ground seemingly casually.

"Get out of the way." The Organization members voice was low, almost monotone.

"I suppose I'll just have to make you talk." Sephiroth chuckled dryly before pushing the man back several steps with a single shove.

Kairi watched in amazement as Sephiroth went on the attack. He seemed to blink in and out of existence, appearing behind the Organization member, then to the side, then in front, finally above. Each time she blinked, Sephiroth was in a different area attacking the enemy. However, the Organization member seemed to be able to keep up. He was defending against each strike and not faltering under the strength of the swordsman's blows. Realizing she should probably do something, Kairi took a step forward but was stopped by a brief, fierce glare shot in her direction by Sephiroth. He wanted her to stay back.

Suddenly, the Organization member switched to the attack and with one blow Sephiroth was sent flying only to flip backwards. The silver haired angel landed gracefully as always, a smirk crossing his face. The Organization member let out another growl and jumped forth, their weapons clashing once more. This time however, Kairi noticed that Sephiroth was pushed back several centimeters by the force of his enemies blow. Sephiroth had apparently had enough by this point and dashed to the side before kicking the Organization member solidly in the head. The black coated male was sent spiraling into a nearby bookcase, then another and another.

"Pathetic." Sephiroth stated, before raising his sword to deflect several bolts aimed at his torso.

"I told you it was a bad idea to go after her with him in the way." Braig stated, holding his unique crossbows in each hand. He locked gazes with Kairi, his single yellow eye resembling a predator spotting its prey. "Hi there princess."

"You!" Kairi cried, raising her weapon defensively and glaring at him.

"You know these two?" Sephiroth questioned, stepping protectively in front of her.

"They're members of Master Xehanorts Organization!" Kairi informed the man, glancing over to the pile of broken bookcases and literature where the other male was getting up. His hood had come off revealing shoulder length blue hair, an x shaped scar between his eyes and yellow irises the same as Braig.

"We can take them together." Isa growled, stepping through the wreckage confidently.

"Maybe..." Braig said thoughtfully before the door flew open.

Lea and Aeleus dashed in with their weapons already drawn, obviously alerted by the quakes created through Sephiroth and Isa's previous clash. Braig spun and fired off several shots which caused the two to split up and dive to either side. As Braig continued to fire at Lea, Isa leaped towards Aeleus and the two former allies clashed. They seemed to be evenly matched in terms of strength and neither showed any signs of backing down. Meanwhile, Lea seemed to be having some mild difficulty as he couldn't get close to Braig.

Letting out a sigh, Sephiroth teleported to Braigs location in an attempt to catch him off guard. The man with an eyepatch seemed to know he was coming and twisted out of the way of his foot, aiming one of his weapons at Sephiroths chest and firing several times. The one winged angel was caught full in the chest by at least seven bolts and seemed to be stunned, his head falling forward and his hair obscuring his face. Braig offered a triumphant smirk and dodged a slash from Lea's keyblade, firing both of his weapons rapidly at the flame affiliated male.

"Sephiroth, are you alright!?" Kairi ran towards the male but skidded to a halt as he held up his free hand in a cautionary motion.

"You think that this is enough to stop me...?" Sephiroth stood up straight suddenly, power exploding outwards from him. The whole building began to shake under the pressure, catching the attention of all the people in the room. Kairis mouth dropped open and she took a step backwards due to the intensity. The mans black wing had expanded to its full length and his eyes held a dangerous gleam to them. "This is your last chance to leave before I break you."

"Probably a good idea." Braig stated, kicking Lea away and diving through a Door to the Darkness.

"You're not leaving!" Aeleus cried, frantically attacking Isa with his axe.

"Isa!" Lea yelled, pointing the tip of his Keyblade towards his friend. The blue haired man fended off Aeleus but was clearly listening. "Stop this! Shake off Xehanorts influence before you lose yourself!"

"Idiots..." Isa muttered, leaping away from Aeleus and summoning a Door to the Darkness behind himself before stepping through. "The future is already written."

"No!" Lea reached out to where he had been standing but Isa was already gone. Letting his Keyblade disappear, he stared down at the ground with his shoulders tensed.

"'Lea..." Kairi said gently, walking over to her friend and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We'll get him back. I promise."

"We should consult Merlin about this intrusion. Perhaps he can cast a spell that will keep them from getting in again." Aeleus stated, heading for the door.

"Are you coming Lea?" Kairi asked softly.

"Y-yeah." Lea replied, turning with his usual bright smile. But this time it didn't reach to his eyes.

"Sephiroth?" Kairi turned to face the man who had fallen silent.

"... I will remain here." Sephiroth stated, walking to the window and staring out of it.

"Okay." Kairi said and headed for the door alongside Lea.

* * *

Riku jumped to the side as several spikes drove downwards from the ceiling, eyes narrowed in frustration. Ever since entering the Cave of Wonders, there had been no shortage of booby traps and he was honestly over it. Luckily, both him and Mickey had great reflexes and were on their guard so they had yet to be harmed. It was supremely clear to them both that Jafar did not want them getting any further into the building to stop his plan. Which of course meant that the Warriors of Light needed to do just that to restore balance.

They entered a narrow corridor, which was lit up by torches like all the others. They walked in silence for some time, Rikus determination slowly mixing in with anger. He could feel the warmth in his chest, threatening to spiral out of control at any moment and guilt began to seep into his being. He knew he shouldn't feel this way, that he had fought so hard to find a balance and to stick to that balance. But being in the Realm of Darkness was always a gamble. It brought out the worst parts of a person, played on their greatest fears and regrets. Riku was just unlucky enough for his greatest fear to be directly related to the Darkness itself.

"We'll stop him Riku." Mickey spoke up, his voice a beacon in the darkness.

"What if we can't? What happens to a Princess of Heart if her world is completely destroyed?" Riku questioned, clenching his fists in anger. "We can't afford to lose Jasmine. If we are down even one Princess of Light, the worlds will fall to the Darkness."

"That won't happen." Mickey tried again, looking up to the boy before reminding him of their past. "Jafar has been beaten before."

"Only after I stopped helping him..." Riku felt his guilt swell up inside him once more and flashed back to his last time on Agrabah, letting out a sorrowful breath. "All of this is happening now because I wasn't strong enough to resist the Darkness."

"Ya can't blame yourself for something like that." Mickey's tone was suddenly stern. It was strange for Riku to hear him like that.

"But..." Riku began but bit his tongue as Mickey stopped walking and stared at him.

"Its not your fault that ya were manipulated by Maleficent. Ya we're just a kid after all." The Kings words were sure and clear, his position as royalty showing through. "Master Xehanort has been causing trouble since long before ya were born. Your failings in the past don't matter. What matters is that you're here, trying to make a difference now."

"I guess..." Riku replied, looking down.

"The boy is right. This is his fault." Jafars voice came from the shadows and both Keyblade wielders summoned their weapons.

"Shut up!" Riku growled, looking for their enemy.

"Don't listen to him Riku, he's trying to play with your mind." Mickeys calm tone had a similar effect on Riku and the boy nodded.

"It seems I will have to separate the two of you." Jafar chuckled and the torches went out, leaving them in complete darkness.

"Wha-" Mickey protested and Riku felt his friend disappear.

"Mickey!? Riku reached out for where his friend had been standing but found nothing. He called his name a couple more times without reply before raising his weapon and charging through the Darkness. "Give me back my friend!"

* * *

Soras blue eyes snapped open and he sat up rapidly, his gaze darting around as he tried to figure out where he was. Memories flooded back to him in waves that made his head spin and he raised a hand to it with a groan and was shocked to find it was bandaged up. Pain began to race through his body at the same time, making it a very uncomfortable awakening. He heard a voice in the back of his mind, whispering to him.

 **"I told you I could help."** The voice was almost seductive. **"Now you must bear the cost of my assistance."**

"That wasn't me..." Sora muttered, staring down at the white blanket pulled across his legs. The voice let out a soft chuckle before speaking again.

 **"Perhaps not currently. But it was a taste of what you could be."** Sora couldn't place it, but the voice sounded so familiar.

"I... I attacked Ignis." Sora swallowed thickly, trying to process everything.

 **"And it felt good."** If the voice could smirk, Sora felt that was what it would be doing.

"Leave me alone!" Sora cried out, his head snapping up and his eyes wide with panic. Ignis, who had just stepped in, raised his hands up it a submissive gesture.

"Sora it's okay. I'm not here to hurt you." Ignis said, his words spoken slowly and softly.

"..." Sora stared at the Keyblade Master for a few moments before letting out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. His eyes filled with regret as he spoke up. "I'm sorry..."

"It's alright. Definitely got a good workout in at least." Ignis chuckled before settling down at the foot of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Everything hurts." Sora groaned before recognition flashed in his eyes. "Donald and Goofy!"

"Are fine." Ignis replied. "Some relative of Hercules arrived to heal them."

"Thank goodness." Sora smiled for the first time since waking up, relieved that his friends were safe.

"Has... that happened before?" Ignis questioned, some hesitation in his tone.

"Only once." Sora looked away in shame. "It was on the World that Never Was. Riku and Kairi were in danger and.. I don't really remember what happened."

"You know that was Pure Darkness right?" Ignis tone was grave and his expression serious. "The fact that you can summon that level of corrupt power is terrifying. It shouldn't be possible, not when you claim to fight for the Light."

"I don't know how I did it." Sora raised a hand to his chest as a throb of pain ran through it and he winced. "My chest hurts."

"Your Heart will be trying to recover." Ignis informed him. "Sora, you should be dead."

"What!?" Soras eyes widened and his gaze moved upwards to lock with the other males.

"Darkness is something that takes years of practice to Master. The strain it takes on a persons body and Heart is far beyond that of the Light." Ignis explained, his brows furrowed in confusion over the matter. "But to become completely enveloped in it? You claim to have lost all of your power but then pull that out in a moment of desperation. Obviously you can feel the effects on your body, the Darkness was eating you alive. It was like a completely different person had entered the fight."

"I understand... I think." Sora nodded, frowning slightly. "But why should I be dead?"

"Because you have a heart aligned with the Light. The longer you were in that form, the more it would have fed on your Heart's essence." Ignis shook his head. "I guess we won't know it's full effects on you until you heal. If you heal."

"Whadya mean 'if'?" Sora narrowed his eyes and pouted.

"Forget I said that." Ignis replied, waving the topic off. "I'm sure you'll be fine."

Sora watched the older male silently as his green eyes clouded over in thought. They were strangers to one another and yet, Sora felt like he could trust the apparent Keyblade Master. Despite the strange things he said and the fact he had no idea what was going on, Ignis clearly had a good heart and that was all that mattered. The orange haired male caught his gaze and raised an eyebrow.

"Admiring my handsome face?" Ignis smirked.

"No!" Sora protested immediately. "I was just thinking about where everyone is."

"They were all out in the arena when I left. Hercules was not happy with my report of what happened." Ignis stood up and glanced down at Sora. "Lets go find them. You need a hand?"

"I'm fine." Sora clenched his teeth and stood up as slowly as possible. His entire body immediately protested, feeling as if it was burning all over but he persevered and forced an eager smile onto his face. "Lets go!"

* * *

Riku had been running for some time through the Darkness, never hitting a wall or light source and wondering if he wasn't in the Cave of Wonders anymore. It was definitely within the realm of possibility that Jafar could have transported him out without his knowledge. With the handle of his Keyblade clasped tightly in his left hand, he continued to cut a line through the pitch blackness until he heard something. His ears pricked up and he took a moment to listen, trying to figure out what it was until he realized it was the sounds of battle. He ran once more, this time directly towards the sound.

As he drew closer, the torches suddenly lit and he found himself at the door to a massive cavern covered in treasure. In the center of the room, there was a swarm of Neoshadows surrounding a young man in a funny hat and wielding a curved sword. He looked particularly worse for ware. Recognition flared in his mind and Riku dashed towards the crowd. He caught the Heartless off guard, cutting down five without any resistance before some finally took their eyes off of the boy and turned towards him. He slashed through one, spinning to cut down another and rolled to the side to avoid the sharp claws of a third beast. It leaped high into the air above him and he took to the air to meet it, slicing right through it and flipping to land directly between the boy and the Heartless.

"Wh-" The boy started, his tone changing from confusion to caution. "You're Riku."

"I am. Get up Aladdin. There's too many for me to handle if I have to babysit you." Riku's tone was guarded. He hadn't seen Aladdin since he'd kidnapped Jasmine and attempted to destroy their world. The air was thick with tension as he adopted his battle ready pose. and more Neoshadows appeared from the ground. "Follow my lead. We'll make for that hallway and then run for it."

"R-right." Aladdin nodded and held the hilt of his sword with both hands. "After you."

Riku didn't was time, raising his free hand and firing a Dark Firaga into the crowd. It exploded, destroying some Neoshadows and sending others flying while causing dust and debris to spring up around them all. Riku dashed forward, cutting down two Neoshadows and kicking another to the side. Behind him, he could hear Aladdin fighting and frowned. Aladdins breathing was heavier than it should be, a sign of exhaustion. His frown deepening, he caught the wrist of a Neoshadow as its claws almost made contact with his face and with a single slash, he took the beasts arm clean off. Kicking it hard into the crowd and knocking down several of its brethren, Riku spared a glance at Aladdin.

The boy was fighting off three Neoshadows and clearly struggling, playing a purely defensive game. Rolling his eyes Riku, jumped into the brawl and took out all three within a moment before tucking his arm under Aladdins shoulder and pulling him close. Before the boy could protest, Riku leaped up into the air high above the crowd towards the exit to the room. They landed heavily, with Aladdin pushing away from Riku and stumbling forward with his breaths sounding even more challenged. Looking into the hallway and noticing that it was both lit up and empty, Riku pointed into the hall.

"Run!" Aladdin looked like he was about to protest until Riku shot him an icy look. As the boy ran, Riku entered the hallway and summoned the Darkness into his free hand. Hurling a considerable amount of dark energy, he brought down the entrance to the cavern he had found Aladdin in and took off after the other male as the rocks cut it off entirely.

They ran for some time but Riku noticed Aladdin was slowing down and placed a hand on his shoulder, signaling that they stop for a bit. Clearly lacking the energy to protest, Aladdin slumped down to the ground with his back against the wall. Riku remained standing, ever vigilant as his eyes darted back and forth between each direction of the hallway.

"... Thank you." Aladdin's voice was small but distinctly grateful. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't shown up."

"It's what we Keyblade wielders do." Riku replied somewhat dismissively, looking towards Aladdin directly. "You look pretty run down."

"I've been fighting them for hours." Aladdin responded with a shaky breath.

"Why are you here alone?" Riku asked, raising an eyebrwow.

"A man named Yen Sid arrived to take Jasmine and anyone else to safety as the world began to break down around us. I told them I was going to do everything I could to save Agrabah." Aladdin explained, his breathing still somewhat labored.

"I'm guessing Jasmine didn't take that well." Riku inquired.

"No." Aladdin smiled sadly. "I asked Genie to watch over her."

"She will be safe with Yen Sid. He's one of the most powerful people in all the worlds." Riku attempted to reassure the boy before adding a snide remark. "Apparently keeping the worlds separate and our mission a secret is no longer a rule."

"We have to stop Jafar." Aladdin stated, his expression growing serious once more.

"We will. I promise." Riku stated. "Just rest for a few more minutes and then we'll set out."

* * *

Maleficent stepped out of a Door to Darkness, a thin eyebrow raising as her lips curled in disgust at the sight before her. This world was clearly in a state of severe degradation but that was not what drew her ire. Kneeling before the Heart of the World, Jafar had his arms raised up towards it. Darkness was flowing directly from his body and into the already corrupted heart and the dark fairy knew there wasn't much time left for Agrabah. Behind her, Hades stepped out and the door closed behind him with the god peering over her shoulder at their one time ally.

"What's he up to?" Hades asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Corrupting this worlds heart with Darkness." Maleficent snapped in reply, irritation practically permeating off of her body.

"Isn't that what you were doing back in the day?" Confusion shone through in Hades reply.

"No." The single word was spoken with finality. With a sound of annoyance, Maleficent spoke once more. "What I was doing would have allowed me to rule over the Worlds. Corrupting them yes, but in time a sense of balance would have taken hold. What he is doing, is destroying this world. Surely you can feel its pain?"

"Oh, is that what that smell is?" Hades chuckled softly.

"You are not welcome here." Jafar spoke, his back to them.

"We have come-" Maleficent took a step forward, but was cut off.

"I don't care why you're here!" Jafar sprang to his feet, turning to face them. His eyes were wide and bloodshot, his teeth bared in anger. "I am using the Darkness to take this worlds power and once I have, I'll take another and another until I achieve immortality."

"Oh, you poor deluded imbecile." Maleficent laughed harshly, her eyes full of amusement. "You have done nothing but become a pawn to the Darkness, not its master."

"Really?" Jafar waved his hand in a small motion and several Heartless sprang forth from the ground before smirking. "I appear to still have control."

"You are being used Jafar." Maleficent narrowed her eyes, her grasp tightening slightly on her staff. "The Darkness has corroded your mind and the Heartless are taking advantage of your weakness."

"WEAKNESS!?" Jafars face went red with anger and he clenched his fists. The room began to shake as his power exploded and he pointed towards the two villains. "DESTROY THEM!"

The Heartless sprang towards them and Maleficent waved her hand casually, destroying them all with a wave of green flame. Jafar let out a cry of rage and summoned more, this time bigger with crimson veins crossing their faces. They were faster, crossing the room before Maleficent could respond. Luckily for her, Hades was there and the god stepped in their path. He caught two by the throat, crushing them and reveling in the Darkness they exploded into as they were destroyed. He then batted two more aside, punching a hole through the next ones chest and tearing another clean in half.

As they were attacking Hades from the front, Maleficent turned to find more being summoned from behind. They were surrounded. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she brought up her staff to swat one aside before opening her palm towards another. The effect was delayed a moment before the Heartless she had targeted exploded in green flame, with the explosion catching several more Heartless. With a roar, Jafar summoned more and they continued their siege against the two powerful beings.

"I enjoy crushing weaklings like this as much as the next deity," Hades began, using one Heartless as a hammer and slamming it into many of its siblings. "But I have a previous commitment to get to."

"He's a lost cause anyway." Maleficent replied, slamming her staff down on the head of one of the creatures of Darkness.

"So we're outta here?" Hades questioned her, .

"I'll meet you back on your world. I have one more piece of business here." Maleficent stated, blasting the Heartless around them back with a powerful wave of dark magic.

The two disappeared in pillars of flame, one blue and the other green. The Heartless seemed thrown off by the sudden disappearance of their prey and turned to Jafar for guidance.

"FIND THEM!" The former vizier ordered, falling back to his knees and focusing his energy back on corrupting the heart of Agrabah.

* * *

Kairi, Lea and Aeleus stepped into the large laboratory that once belonged to Ansem the wise. Easily one of the biggest rooms in the castle, it was filled to the brim with books, contraptions and other things meant for a lab. In the center there were several benches, two of which were occupied by the slumbering forms of the lithe Even and the muscular Dilan. Ienzo meanwhile was pouring over a book sat on a stand nearby, his gaze intently focused on the pages.

"You're back." The young looking grey haired male stated in a monotone, not lifting his eyes from the page.

"Isa and Braig were here." Aeleus informed the male, moving to stand beside Dilan. "It's a shame this guy isn't awake. He could have taken care of them without a problem."

"Sephiroth seemed to have things covered to be honest." Lea yawned before jabbing his thumb in Kairis direction. "This is Kairi, got it memorized?"

"I am aware of the name of one of the Princesses of Heart, yes. We were, after all, instructed to keep tabs on them by Xemnas though I have no inkling as to why. He was far more focused on recreating his own heart, rather than preserving the heart's of some special little girls. Perhaps..." Ienzo found himself cut off by Lea, who lightly slapped him across the back of the head. Frowning, the scholar glared at the taller male. "What was that for!?"

"You're rambling." Lea shrugged. "You know where Merlin went?"

"Probably into the town." Ienzo stated, rubbing the back of his head and frowning. "That doesn't matter anyway. I've made a breakthrough! Initially I believed that our comrades here were simply unconscious due to some kind of internal damage or brain malfunction. However, after extensive testing I have uncovered something rather... unique about their hearts."

Snapping his fingers, he summoned a hard covered book with a black cover to his right hand and it sprung open to a random page. Raising his left hand, he muttered something under his breath before a semi transparent row of spheres appeared between Ienzo and Kairi. There were three spheres side by side, one with Evens name underneath and the other with Dilan's while the third had Ienzo's.

"I became quite attuned to the 'scent' of Darkness during my time as a member of the Organization and neither of them radiate that specific 'smell'. However," Ienzo gestured at his heart and then the others. "There is a clear difference between my own heart and theirs. Can you tell me what that is?"

"Um..." Kairis eyes darted between the illusions before nodding slowly. "Your heart is fully white with a slightly golden glow. Both of theirs have a red tinge to them that comes from the center."

"Precisely." Ienzo snapped his book shut and the illusions disappeared. "Darkness within a persons heart is always clear you see. Because our hearts were reborn after the destruction of both our Heartless and Nobodies, they are generally restored to the state when the original died. Considering that we were not affiliated with Darkness at that point, they should all be like mine. But this is not Darkness, it is something else. Darkness manifests itself in a persons heart usually as purple glow and once fully corrupted, that persons heart will seemingly crystallize with rough edges. Then there is the Heartless who, once destroyed, release a heart with a crystallized bright pink form with a purple aura. And a person of the Light who has suffered great trauma or in a near death experience will have their heart emit a startling orange glow as a sign that this heart is in danger. I believe that the crimson aura emanated by Even and Dilans hearts is a sign that they are undergoing some kind of trauma and their hearts are struggling to fight back, rendering them in this comatose state."

"That was... a lot of information." Kairi blinked several times, trying to process the information she had just been given. "What do you think this trauma could be?"

"I have a theory." Ienzo glanced at Aeleus and then Lea. "When you fought Isa and Braig, did they seem different in any way?"

"They were definitely stronger." Lea stated, scratching his chin as he thought back. "Braig especially. Back in the Organization, I was considered to be top tier but he didn't seem like he was trying."

"Isa's eyes." Aeleus stated. "They were a glowing golden like Braigs and Xemnas'."

"Come to think of it, Isa never used to have those colored eyes." Lea raised his eyebrow. "Back in the day, he had blue eyes. In fact, they only changed after we joined the Organization. And even then, they never glowed."

"Do you remember, back when Xehanort killed us all?" Ienzo began, frowning. "His eyes changed from brown to the color of the man we came to know as Xemnas. His power also spiked. And you are correct Lea, Isa did not have those eyes prior to his death. Nor did he have that scar on the center of his face."

"And Braig did not always have those eyes either. They only changed after his initial encounter with Xehanort." Aeleus added.

"What are you trying to say?" Kairi asked, confused by the prolonged conversation.

"I believe that..." Ienzo began but stopped as the alarm went off. Crossing to a computer station at the wall, he brought up the cameras for the castle and the town. Frowning, he gestured to the town where Heartless were attacking the civilians. "This seems to be an issue."

"We need to help them!" Kairi exclaimed. Lea and Aeleus nodded before the three of them headed out of the lab and towards the exit that led to the town of a restored Radiant Garden.

* * *

Riku was just about to tell Aladdin that it was time to start moving when a shiver went down his spine and he sensed the presence of a person from earlier. Summoning his Keyblade, he spun wildly and slammed the weapon into the staff of Maleficent who simply raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

"This again? Really?" Maleficent rolled her eyes, using the staff to keep his weapon in a dead lock. "If you are looking for punishment child, I will be more than happy to dish it out. However, I do have an alternative offer for you."

"What do you want witch?" Riku snarled.

"Charming. You remind me of someone." Maleficent stated dryly. "I have sought you out to help you."

"Thats not going to fool me again." Riku snapped in response, gritting his teeth as he pushed against Maleficents staff. He didn't remember her being this strong.

"Jafar needs to be dealt with." Maleficent threw him back suddenly, waving her hand towards Aladdin. A soft yellow glow engulfed the young man and his injuries healed in mere moments. "Now listen to me."

"I will never trust a word you have to say again!" Riku spat, his grip tightening on the hilt of his weapon in anger.

"Riku," Aladdin place a hand on the younger male's shoulder. "She healed me. We should at least hear her out."

"You are a smart boy. It's a shame that without my assistance in destroying Jafar, you will fade out of existence." Maleficent narrowed her eyes. "I will not offer it again."

"..." Riku glanced at Aladdin who silently pleaded with his eyes. Sighing, Riku allowed his Keyblade to disappear. "What assistance can you give us?"

"Before all that, I have a gift for you specifically. A token to remind you of a time when we were mistress and apprentice."

Riku was about to retort but stopped short when the female raised her hand towards him and began to speak in a foreign tongue. Her eyes began to glow a bright green and a green mist surrounded her body, slowly but surely gathering around her hand. With a final word, Maleficent sent the mist towards Riku and it struck him in the chest, knocking his breath out. Eyes widening, Riku clenched his fists and gasped as he felt the mist working within him as Maleficent began to chant again. Suddenly the mist burst out of his body and surrounded him before slowly disappearing. Struggling to breathe, Riku raised a hand to his chest where his heart was beating rapidly.

"Wh-what did you do!?" Riku demanded, glaring at the fairy.

"Stabilized the Darkness within your heart so that you may use it without consequence." Maleficent stated simply, gesturing to the boy. "As well as some physical alterations."

Riku looked down at himself. The collar of his vest had grown to be high and was now a color that matched the collar of Maleficents own robe. His white shirt now also had a dark pink thorn pattern winding its way around his body. Concentrating on the Darkness within him, he felt a soft coolness that replaced the harsh cold that had once been there.

"You expect me to believe there will be no consequences?" Riku spat.

"Well... only one." Maleficent chuckled ominously, slowly pointing in the direction of the end of the tunnel. "That pitiful little King of yours is being held in a room in that direction."

"That's it?" Riku asked in frustration.

"... I will also summon some Heartless to distract Jafar's own legion." Maleficent stated, her tone clipped. "I gave you power, the direction of your friend and reinforcements. A little gratitude would not be missed."

Before Riku could reply, the woman summoned a door to the darkness and stepped through, leaving the realm behind. Frowning, Riku looked down at his hand and slowly flexed his fingers. He definitely felt different. Glancing at Aladdin, he began to walk in the direction the female had gestured.

"Lets go save the King."

* * *

Sora and Ignis eventually made their way back out into the Arena only to find nobody there except for the girl called Antiope. She noticed them and approached, looking Sora over with concern.

"I'm sorry that our healer couldn't do more for you young one. The corruption had spread further than anticipated." The beautiful woman's gaze shifted to Ignis. "They will need you."

"Need me? For what?" Ignis raised an eyebrow.

"Hades contacted us and demanded that Hercules meet him at the entrance to the Underworld. He will only relinquish Megara if he is allowed access once more." Antiope's frown grew as she spoke.

"I should probably go down there then..." Ignis glanced at Sora. "You should probably stay here."

"What!? No way!" Sora grimaced as another wave of pain ran through him, gritting his teeth in determination.

"You are gravely injured." Antiope sighed.

"And I can help!" Sora protested, pouting in defiance.

A look passed between Ignis and Antiope and for a few moments, Sora's heart sunk. They were going to leave him in the Coliseum because he was useless, unable to fight and completely not inf any fit shape to save people. But he was surprised when Antiope laid a hand on his shoulder and placed a finger under his chin, drawing his eyes up to meet hers.

"I will come with you then. I am no Goddess, but my people know much of battle." With a snap of her fingers, the dress Antiope was wearing was replaced with leather armor similar to Hercules own, complete with a sword sheathed at her hip and a shield attached to her right forearm. A bow and quiver were also strapped to her back. Reaching into a pouch on the opposite hip to her sword, she drew out a small crystal and whispered an incantation before throwing it on the ground a few feet away. A portal of brilliant pink light sprang up and she smiled before walking towards it. "This will take us to them, but we must go now."

Sora nodded and followed after the woman. Ignis eyed the younger male thoughtfully before a small smile appeared on his face and he followed the other two figures through the portal.

* * *

"Get away from him!"

Riku and Aladdin dashed into the room that Maleficent had specified, cutting down multiple Heartless that were harassing a prone Mickey. The King was strung up to a pillar and looked worse for wear. It took the two heroes a minute or two to clear the room. Riku darted around with a quiet fury, tearing through any Heartless in his path while Aladdin danced around their attacks and drew attention. Once the room was clear, Riku cut Mickey down and drew a potion out of his pocket, pouring the contents into the Kings mouth. Moments later, the mouses wounds disappeared and his eyes slowly opened.

"Riku..." The word was slurred somewhat and he blinked a few times before clarity seemed to come back into his eyes. "You came!"

"Of course I did." Riku smiled and set the King down before looking around. "Do you know where Jafar is?"

"Nope. He tied me up here and left me to be picked off by those Heartless." Mickey looked to Aladdin, recognition dawning on his face. "Aladdin? You're here too!?"

"I am. But I uh... don't think we've met." Aladdin chuckled, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

"This is the King." Riku stated officially, only to be waved off by Mickey.

"Mickey Mouse, at your service!" The two shook hands before Mickey continued. "I've visited your world once, years ago when I was still apprenticed to my master. I never forget a face."

"How interesting." A quiet voice spoke and a cloaked figure entered the room from a sudden burst of Darkness infused energy. His hood was down, revealing a handsome male with powerful blue eyes and wild pink hair. His eyes swept across each face in the room with a slight smirk before he spoke again. "You should consider passing on that quality to Sora."

"Who are-" Riku began before taking in his attire. With a growl, he summoned his Keyblade and stepped protectively in front of the others. "You're a member of the Organization!"

"That much should be blatantly obvious, yes." Sarcasm dripped from every single word that the stranger spoke and he rolled his eyes to add to the effect, gesturing to his cloak.

"I've never seen him before." Mickey stated, summoning his own Keyblade. "But we should capture him to get information on Master Xehanorts plans."

"Right." Riku nodded, glancing at Aladdin. "Stay back."

Aladdin nodded and Riku shifted his gaze back to the stranger who stood there, eyeing the two Keyblade Masters expectantly. Without another word, Riku dashed towards the cloaked male with Mickey close on his heels. He reached the pink haired man quickly, swinging his Keyblade in a wide arc. With a scoff, the man took a step back, twisting to avoid a follow up attack that Mickey launched from above. Spinning, the male leaned backwards to avoid another attack from Riku before almost casually catching his wrist as Riku attempted to slash at him again.

"If you ask me, that replica would pose more of a challenge." Chuckling, the male suddenly disappeared in a stream of pink flower petals and darkness before Riku's blade sliced through the space he had just been standing. He appeared across the other side of the room and shook his head. "I'll never understand why Xemnas' counterpart is so intrigued by you."

"Ansem? Where is he!?" Riku felt the familiar feeling of anger begin to overtake him once more.

"Did you believe that question would receive an answer?" The males tone was cold this time as he spoke. "I can't believe he thought you would be a worthy possessor of their power."

"Their power?" Mickey questioned the male, taking note of the fact that this person didn't openly appear aggressive. "You make it sound like you're not part of Master Xehanorts Organization."

"Perceptive little rodent." A condescending sneer appeared on his face. "I am a member of the True Organization XIII, not this offshoot led by a crazed old man."

""What do you want?" Riku demanded, earning a scathing glance from the male.

"Right now, I'm here to help you with your little problem." He waved his hand and a door to the Darkness sprang from the ground, several of the pink flower petals flowing through it. "This will take you directly to the Vizier."

"Why should we trust you?" Riku narrowed his eyes.

"Because I want the old man and his coalition gone." Something flashed across the pink haired males face, an emotion that resembled sadness. His next words were spoken quietly "To change what is destined to come..."

Riku opened his mouth to continue, but the other male simply raised his hand and shook his head. A sign that the conversation was over. Aladdin approached and together the three allies moved towards the portal. The silver haired boy hesitated for a few moments but after a reassuring nod from Mickey, he stepped through without another thought. Once they were all inside, the entrance closed behind them and an exit open up almost immediately. They stepped through into another room and once they were all to the destination, the door to the Darkness disappeared. As promised, Jafar was there and so was the Heart of Agrabah which looked very much worse for wear.

The issue was the fact that an Organization member with a helmet covering their face stood over Jafar, who was lying on the ground.

Another issue was the fact that the Organization member was wielding a Keyblade that appeared to be made up of gears.

Dropping into their battle ready positionss, Riku and his party eyed the Organization member, who raised his head and the visor of his helmet shifted towards them. A distinctly male chuckle filled the tense silence that had taken hold in the room. Jafar groaned and the Organization member responded with a swift kick to the elderly males ribs.

"How did you get here?" The Organization member questioned, sounding more amused than anything else. Raising his free hand, he stopped them before they could reply. "Wait no, don't answer that. It doesn't matter. Nothing matters anymore."

As if dismissing the three armed males, he Organization member looked back down to Jafar and dismissed his Keyblade. Moments later, he re-summoned a different Keyblade and Riku immediately realized it as the Keyblade that had been created years ago at the expense of six of the Princesses Hearts. Riku's mouth dropped open in confusion as he watched the Organization member plunge the Keyblade into Jafars chest before withdrawing it and letting the weapon disappear. As Jafars unconscious body floated high into the air above, the Organization member waved at Riku and co. Unleashing a blast of Darkness towards the Heart of Agrabah, the Organization member tilted his head to the side in curiosity. Everybody, except Jafar who was encased in a sphere of Darkness, watched as the Heart of the World faltered briefly before suddenly bursting into multiple shards. With a dark chuckle, the Organization member stepped into a door to the Darkness and disappeared.

"We need to leave..." Riku stated, shocked by what had just occurred in a matter of moments.

Suddenly Jafar dropped back to the ground, landing on his feet. His entire body was encased in Darkness, the usually elegant male hunched over slightly. His face was not visible, only a sharp toothed mouth and wide yellow eyes. His hands were clawed and Darkness seemed to be leaking off of him creating the illusion that he had a tail. As the male unleashed a sudden and terrifying roar, Riku felt fear seep into him as he turned on his heel.

"Run!"

* * *

Sora stepped out of the portal into utter chaos, diving to the side to avoid one of the heads of the Hydra as it tried to eat him. He grunted as pain exploded through his body but forced himself back to his feet. Looking to the others, he sighed in relief. Ignis had activated his armor and kicked the head to the side while Antiope had drawn her sword and was dashing towards the body of the great beast. Nearby, Hercules was fending off several of the heads of the Hydra while Phil was riding Pegasus high above and barking orders.

Soras gaze was drawn across the dust covered ground to another battle. Goofy and Donald were fighting a clearly losing battle against the Cerberus which had them backed into a corner. Despite their ability to work in tandem, the Knight and Wizard were clearly at a disadvantaged. Sora summoned his Keyblade, but looked down in surprise to see he hadn't summoned the Kingdom Key, but instead Oblivion.

"Roxas..." Sora whispered, looking down at the weapon.

"Focus on the battle or get outta the way!" Ignis cried as he tore past, making a beeline for the Cerberus. One of the heads of the colossal creature noticed and growled at him, earning a cry of delight from the Keyblade Master. "I was hoping we'd meet again!"

Sora's gaze shifted between the two battles. The Olympians were, of course, born fighters and fought fiercely while also covering one another backs, quickly turning the tide against the Hydra. Meanwhile, Ingis by himself seemed like he was more than a match for the Cerberus, which gave Donald and Goofy a moment to rest. Sora almost jumped out of his skin as a voice spoke behind him.

"I gotta say, that Keyblade is a bit too dark for you." Hades chuckled, his hands falling on Soras shoulders. The God began to massage him as he continued."Isn't the whole Darkness thing more of your friends shtick?"

Shrugging the Gods loose grip off, the boy turned and swung his Keyblade but Hades wasn't there. A chuckle came from behind him and Sora turned to strike again but only found empty air. Appearing several feet in front of him, Hades stroked his chin in thought as he studied the Keyblade wielder.

"A little slow today, aren't you kid?" The God of the Underworld raised an eyebrow. "What's with all the bandages? My Titans have never managed to get you in the past."

"These? Oh, they're nothing." Sora flashed a confident smile but winced as another flare of pain ran through his body.

"Performance issues huh? I understand. Never used to have them but without access to the Underworld, everything I can do is kinda limited. I'm like a battery running on low" Hades gestured to the two monsters battling Soras allies. "Luckily for me, I had the foresight to bring them outside with me when the world changed. So I have the luxury of wasting what power I do have on things like summoning Rocky and a glimpse of my true form."

"You mean you can't go full power?" Sora smirked, glancing behind Hades.

"Not right now. But I don't think that's going to be an issue with you all... broken." The God smirked and took a step towards the boy.

"I'm not." Ignis stated right before kicking the God and sending him flying across the battle ground.

The God slammed into a nearby wall of stone with a surprised yelp as Ignis deactivated his helmet and flashed Sora a smile. Cerberus had been chained down by a series of golden chains and was fighting to get free but Donald was bombarding him with spells while Goofy worked on weakening the heads of the beast. Meanwhile, Hercules, Phil and Antiope had taken the Hydra down, the beast fading back into the dark energies that had borne it. All eyes went to Hades who pulled himself out of the hole he had created when he impacted the stone and glared at everybody with contempt.

"You take away my domain, destroy my Titan, kill my Hydra and abuse my dog." His fists were clenched and he was clearly infuriated, however his body was not changing from it's blue form like it usually did when he got angry. "I will find a way to KILL YOU ALL!"

"Give Meg back Hades. Now." Hercules and his group moved towards the God.

"You think I'm going to give sassypants back without getting anything in return? No." Hades' anger disappeared suddenly and a smirk appeared on his face. "Maybe I'll just get rid of her in return for all the damage you've done today."

"You touch her and I'll-" Hercules began but he was cut off by Hades.

"You'll what? Face it, I hold the cards here." Hades straightened up and his expression turned completely smug.

"Is that so?" Xemnas stated as he stepped out of a door to the Darkness with Meg in front of him. Giving the girl a sharp shove, he nodded to Hercules. "Be with your loved one."

Megara ran towards Hercules, only for Hades to appear in front of her and attempt to grab her. Before any of the Heroes could react, Xemnas dashed towards Hades and buried one of his Ethereal Blades into the chest of the God. Stopping short, Hades eyebrows went up in surprise as Megara continued to run past them both and threw herself into the embrace of Hercules. Smiling at the scene, Sora frowned as Xemnas snapped his fingers and the scene froze. Only Xemnas, Hades, Sora and Ignis remained animated in movement.

"How did you do that? And why did you help Meg?" Sora demanded.

"I have gained new powers through the Organization. As for this one, he has earned our attention." Xemnas stated, summoning his other blade and stabbing it into Hades chest as well. The God gasped and grabbed Xemnas wrists in an attempt to pull them out but appeared to struggle against the strength of the Nobody. Xemnas' gaze fell on Sora and it slowly went to his Keyblade. "I see Roxas is still active within your Heart."

"Yeah well, he sacrificed his own freedom to bring me back. The least I can do is let him sick around." Sora replied, his free hand going to his chest over his Heart and he smiled.

"Many have sacrificed themselves for you. And yet, you continue to disappoint everybody." Xemnas stated with a smirk, letting his Ethereal Blades fade. Hades disappeared immediately in a pillar of blue flame and the Nobody leader turned his full attention to the Heroes. Slowly, he raised his hand and pointed to Ignis with a scowl. "You do not belong here."

"I don't know who you are, but you remind me of Xehanort. What with the eyes, the hair and the obvious God complex." Ignis chuckled and stepped protectively in front of Sora. "If you're here for Sora, then I'm going to have to object."

"You believe that you can stop me?" Xemnas let out a hollow chuckle of his own.

"I'll give it a shot at least." Ignis activated his helmet and dropped into a battle ready position.

"Come then, warrior of the Keyblade." Xemnas rose a foot off the ground and spread his arms wide to his sides.

Before Sora could protest, Ignis had dashed towards the master of the Nobodies. As the two clashed, Sora felt his head go light while his vision faded and he fell backwards suddenly. His back hit the ground but dust didn't spring up around him. Groaning, his vision began to clear and he took a hand that was extended to him, standing back up. His eyes widened in surprise as he realized he was back on the platform of himself in the dark world. It appeared that the outer edges of the platform had faded away and there were five figures standing before him in two groups. In one group of three there was Roxas who offered him a smile, another was a boy who looked like Roxas but much younger and the final was a girl with black hair that he'd never seen before. The other group of two had a boy in a bodysuit similar to the one that Riku had worn when possessed by Ansem with a helmet covering his face and the final one was a being made entirely of Darkness that resembled Sora with wide yellow eyes.

"What's going on?" Sora asked, his eyes widening further in panic. "I need to help Ignis!"

"Time flows differently here Sora. When you go back, it'll be like you never left." Roxas reassured him, before his expression suddenly went serious. "We need to talk."

* * *

Riku, Mickey and Aladdin made it to the entrance, not looking back once. They could feel the pounding of Jafars feet behind them but they didn't stop until they were out of the cave. Riku finally turned and brought up his Keyblade to defend against the man as he lunged towards him, but he was too slow. Jafars now clawed fingers began to close around his neck then suddenly he disappeared in a brilliant flash of light. Next the Cave of Wonders itself began to fade away slowly. Confused, Riku looked to Mickey who shrugged.

"I-I don't feel so good." Aladdin gasped, falling to his knees as the landscape around them fell into complete darkness.

Riku and Mickey stepped closer to Aladdin, each with a hand on his shoulder as he gasped for air. After what seemed like an eternity, a new area began to form around them and Riku was surprised to find them on a very familiar beach. Though they were clearly still in the Realm of Darkness, it was refreshing to be in a place that at least seemed somewhat peaceful.

"I've been here before." Riku muttered, before turning to Aladdin as he coughed. "What's wrong?"

"I... I don't know..." Aladdin wheezed, losing the strength to kneel and falling onto his back. His eyes had lost their usual spark and he stared almost blankly up at the star filled sky above. Taking a shaky breath, he spoke again. "My chest feels like it's burning."

"The Heart of the World..." Mickey said quietly, looking at Riku with a sad expression.

"... What!?" Riku exclaimed, finally understanding what was happening and looking between Aladdin and the King. "There's nothing we can do?"

Mickey shook his head and both Keyblade wielders turned at the sound of footsteps. A figure wearing the Organization cloak calmly approached them and Riku began to wish that he'd never left Destiny Islands considering he was harassed by these people everywhere he went. The figure raised his hands in surrender and pulled his hood off. Smiles appeared on both Riku and Mickeys faces.

"DiZ!" Riku exclaimed.

"Ansem!" Mickey cried.

"Hello my friends." The elderly scientist smiled at them before looking down at Aladdin. The smile fell and was replaced with a serious look Riku knew only too well as his orange gaze fell on Aladdin who was completely still aside from the labored rise of his chest as he breathed and his slow blinking eyes. "His world?"

"The Heart was just destroyed." Mickey informed the male who shook his head slowly before kneeling down beside Aladdin and taking his hand in his, though the former thief didn't take notice. "I have seen too much of this during my time in this wretched realm."

"We failed." Riku growled, clenching his fists.

"We were too late Riku. Even with the help of that man, the Organization was already there. There is nothing we could have done." Mickey tried to console his friend but Riku was having none of it.

"Thats not true!" Riku roared, glaring at his friend. "If we had attacked that Organization member instead of watching him like idiots, this wouldn't be happening!"

Mickey opened his mouth to reply, but instead bit his lip and looked away with guilt written clearly across his face. Aladdin coughed again and their attention was drawn back to him.

"Jasmine?" Aladdin said, his eyes desperately searching for something that wasn't there. "I love you."

Without another word, Aladdin's body disappeared in a bright flash of light, leaving nothing behind and everybody else assembled looked on helplessly.

* * *

Kairi rounded the corner into the center of the town and slashed her Keyblade in an upwards direction to dispatch another Heartless. Behind her she heard Lea and Aeleus fighting off some more but paid it no mind. She knew that they were more than a match for the creatures of Darkness. Spotting a little girl running away from a Heartless and without thinking twice, the Princess of Heart made a beeline for the girl. Leaping into the air, she brought her Keyblade down on the Heartless and spun to stab her weapon's tip into another. Both creatures disappeared in a violent explosion of Darkness and Kairi knelt down in front of the little girl with a smile.

"It's okay. We're here to help." Kairi said but frowned as the girl looked up at her with a dark smile before transforming into a Berserker Nobody that towered over her.

If not for Aeleus appearing out of nowhere and dispatching the creature by burying his axe in its chest, Kairi was certain she would have fallen victim to it. Around them the Heartless suddenly disappeared and Lea, Kairi and Aelus all looked up at a young man in an Organization cloak as he cleared his throat. He was casually sitting on the edge of a rooftop, one hand behind him to support his weight and the other rested on his knee.

"You!" Lea stated, pointing his Keyblade at the white haired boy. "You were there in the Round Room!"

"Correct Lea." The young man replied, his amber eyes looking right into Kairi's soul. "I'm here for the Princess of Heart."

"You think you're going to get her? You're outnumbered!" Lea laughed confidently, stepping in between the man and Kairi.

"There will be reinforcements on the way as well." Aeleus added, taking up place beside Lea with his weapon raised. "Surrender."

"I'll pass." The man stated dryly as Braig and Isa suddenly appeared beside him. The two former Nobodies casually tossed the unconscious bodies of Tifa, Squall and Yuffie down towards them. Lea and Aeleus both moved quickly and caught the three, setting them down gently on the pavement before turning back to glare at the Organization members. As his gaze continued to peer right through Kairi, the young man spoke again. "As I said before, I'm here for the Princess of Heart. Hand her over and there will be no need for further conflict."

"Yeah right!" Lea spat back.

"I'll do it." Kairi stated, letting her Keyblade disappear and pushing past her two protectors. Locking eyes with the young man, she felt a sense of dread seep into her but ignored it. "I'll give myself to you as long as you swear to not hurt anybody else."

"Smart girl." The young man said, nodding to Isa. "Take her."

Isa jumped down towards Kairi but was intercepted but Lea. As the fire warrior swung his Keyblade, Isa growled and summoned his own weapon to block the attack and with a roar sent Lea flying backwards. The blue haired male landed heavily in front of Kairi with a glare just as Aeleus slammed his shoulder into him and sent him hurtling into the wall of a nearby home. Kairi opened her mouth to protest what her newfound friends were doing but was interrupted by the young man whose expression had not changed from a neutral frown.

"Very well then." He stated, letting out a soft sigh. "If all that you denizens of the Light understand is violence, that is what we shall give you."


	6. The New Organization XIII

Authors Note

Here's the next one! I have so much planned so I hope I can get as much of this out as possible before Kingdom Hearts 3. It's going to become so obvious now with all this info coming out about the actual game, that my story will diverge heavily from that. Btw SHOOK over the Frozen Trailer but not so much by the Pirates one. Aqua... :/ Reviews are always appreciated. :)

* * *

Raising the hand that was on his knee, the young man with white hair summoned a Keyblade that appeared to have the qualities of a clock. Turning it towards the sky, the male unleashed some kind of spell. Everybody turned to look at him with confusion aside from the Organization members and Isa smirked as he pulled himself out of the rubble his impact had creatred. The sky suddenly changed to Night, with a full moon high in the sky above them.

"Kairi look out!" Lea cried, dashing towards her.

In what seemed like a single moment, Kairi experienced several things as the world around her seemed to slow down. Isa's eyes flashed with power and a shock wave was sent out around him. Aeleus jumped in front of Kairi only for Isa to slam his weapon into the large man with enough force to send him flying through several houses in a row. Isa had moved to stand in front of Kairi, looking down at her with a wild smirk. His weapon had taken on a much more dangerous appearance and his eyes were glowing. Without hesitation, he reached for Kairi only to have his wrist caught by Lea.

"Isa. Stop this." Lea pleaded, his voice cracking with emotion. "You don't have to be this way."

"SHUT UP!" Isa cried, snatching his wrist away and growling. "JUST SHUT UP AND DIE!"

Kairi found herself being thrown back by Lea as Isa brought up his weapon to attack her. It sailed through the space she had just been standing and continued it's momentum to slam into Lea's Keyblade, causing Lea to skid back several feet. Isa growled, swinging again and again. Each time Lea managed to block the swift and powerful blows up was being pushed back. Exertion showed clearly on Leas face while Isa let out animistic sounds with each attack. Picking herself up off the ground, Kairi looked up to the young man and Braig who were watching with clear satisfaction at the scene.

Letting out a battle cry, Kairi ran towards Isa and swung her Keyblade at him only for her attempted attack to be batted aside by the blue haired male. Lea tried to use this distractionto land a blow of his own but Isa turned and stepped out of the way without even looking at him. Kairi moved in again, swinging multiple times but only cleaving through air. Lea joined her in this venture but didn't manage to hit Isa at all either . The two Keyblade Warriors were caught off guard as Isa suddenly switched to the attack. Stepping forward, he backhanded Kairi across the face with his free hand, sending her flying into the muscular arms of Aeleus who had only just recovered from the last attack. Isas weapon slammed into the side of Lea, the protruding spikes on the end tearing through clothing and skin with ease.

"Argh!" Lea cried out in pain as he was thrown backwards, landing heavily on the ground several meters away. His Keyblade had been knocked from his grip and bounced once before disappearing in a flash of flame as Isa turned towards Kairi and Aeleus.

"Kairi." Aeleus began as he let her back down to stand on her own. "I am currently stronger than Saix physically but in this form he grows faster and stronger with time. We'll need to work together. I'll take his blows head on and you work on landing a critical hit."

"Right." Kairi nodded, re-summoning her weapon and holding it with both hands. "Lets do this!"

* * *

"Can we start with who all these people are?" Sora gestured to every other person gathered on the strange platform, clear confusion present on his face.

"What?" Roxas raised an eyebrow before chuckling. "I think I can leave it to everybody to introduce themselves."

"I'm Ventus. My friends call me Ven." The boy who looked almost exactly like Roxas said. He smiled brightly at Sora. "Years ago, my Heart was suffering and broken. You helped me during that time and so now my Heart is connected with yours."

"And because I'm the other half of Ventus, I am also connected with you." The boy with a helmet said as his helmet faded away and revealed a face that was like a dark mirror to Sora's own, causing Sora to gasp. "I am Vanitas."

"Ven. Vanitas." Sora repeated, trying not to ask questions about why they looked so much like himself and Roxas. He looked to the girl, who had a sad smile on her face. "And you are...?"

"I'm Xion." The girl said, showing surprise at the fact she'd actually been able to say it. "I was created by the Organization from your memories and used as a backup for Roxas in service to Xemnas. But I realized that what we were doing was wrong and that I was being manipulated. So, I changed my destiny."

"Your destiny?" Sora asked and Xion nodded.

"Xemnas wanted me to replace Roxas, to replace you. I couldn't do that, so I let myself be destroyed by Roxas so that you could eventually come out of your slumber." She looked down for a moment as if she was about to cry, but smiled through it and looked back up. "I'm... I'm glad it worked."

"You sacrificed yourself for me as well!?" Sora exclaimed, his mouth dropping open and sympathy showing on his face.

"Its okay Sora. You're the One after all." Roxas cut in, his own smile showing inner sadness. "I was just a Nobody."

"And I was just a Replica." Xion finished.

"Thank you both." Sora stated genuinely before looking to the creature of Darkness. "And who are you?"

 **"I'm your inner Darkness."** The creature said simply.

"You're the voice! You caused these injuries!" Sora accused the creature, only for Vanitas to scoff.

"We all heard your consent loud and clear so don't play the victim." Vanitas rolled his eyes as he spoke.

"You're right..." Sora admitted. "It's nice to meet all of you, but why am I here?"

"You're at your lowest, so we figured that we should remind you that you're never alone." Ventus stepped forward and pointed to Soras chest. "We're all in there with you."

"And some of us have been stuck here longer than others." Vanitas growled.

"Some of us are literally a part of Sora, so you've got it easy." Xion stated, glaring at Vanitas.

"You said our Hearts are connected before." Sora said, looking at Ventus and ignoring the argument beginning between Vanitas and Xion. "Where are you in the real world?"

"I'm not sure. I know that my body won't be active because of the strain put on it when Vanitas used me to complete and wield the X-Blade." Ventus said, shooting a pointed look in Vantias' direction only to earn a dark smirk from his other half. "I just hope my friends are okay."

"Your friends?" Sora asked.

"Terra and Aqua. You've uh... already met Terra. The leader of that Organization XIII." Ventus replied, earning a shocked look from Sora.

"Xemnas is your friend!?" Surprise changed to confusion and the boy spoke again. "Wait, Master Yen Sid said that Xemnas is the Nobody for Master Xehanort. How can he be this Terra person too?"

"I can answer that." Vanitas chimed in. "Back when I was free, the Master was trying to put his Heart into Terras body so that he could live past his bodies expiry date. He must have succeeded."

"Then.. Ansem, the Heartless of Master Xehanort, is also the Heartless of Terra?" Sora's confusion only increased and he rubbed his temples. "This is so confusing."

"Sora, you're getting sidetracked." Roxas stepped up, placing his hands on Sora's shoulders and smiling. "We can answer your questions later on. Right now, you need to focus on what's going on in the real world. You don't have to feel down about losing your power, because we're here. Until you get back on your feet, we'll give you a temporary boost."

"You can do that?" Sora raised an eyebrow.

"He did." Xion gestured to Anti Sora who remained silent. Steping up beside Roxas, she took one of Soras hands and one of Roxas', placing them between her own. Sora felt his body warm up suddenly before a wave of power burst through him "Now go help Ignis with Xemnas. We'll be here."

Sora nodded and the world faded to black. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes and found himself back lying on the ground in the world of Olympus Coliseum. Groaning, he sat up and rubbed his head before his attention was drawn to a shock wave as Ignis and Xemnas locked weapons. The two separated then dashed in, swinging their blades in a blurred dance of strikes and parries. Springing to his feet, Sora summoned Oblivion to his hand once more then felt an urge in his other hand. Focusing his power, he smiled as Oathkeeper appeared and he grasped both Keyblades with determination.

"Thanks guys." He whispered before rushing to enter the fray.

* * *

Isa's claymore slammed into Aeleus' axe with an incredible amount of force. Not letting herself be daunted by the display of strength, Kairi dashed in and swung her Keyblade at Isa's exposed side. The Organization member grunted and leaped backwards to avoid the strike, bringing his weapon down towards Kairi. Aeleus grabbed the princess and swapped places with her, blocking his former comrades attack with a grunt of his own. Stumbling but managing to keep upright, Kairi noticed with concern that Aeleus' knees buckled slightly as he took the force of the attack.

"This is pointless." The young man's voice drawled from the rooftop above. "It's only a matter of time before the two of you succumb to Isa's strength, and time is on our side."

Ignoring the young man, Kairi focused on the battle in front of her. She was by no means a skilled warrior, but concentrating only on attacking was easy enough. Each time Aeleus blocked an attempted strike from Isa, she quickly went for whatever part of the man was exposed and the speed of her attacks increased as the battle went on. One thing she was painfully aware of however, was the fact that Aeleus was slowing down. As she threw herself to the side to avoid her opponents weapon, she gasped as he corrected the strike and it connected with Aeleus' head. The large man went down immediately, not moving as his axe clattered on the ground beside him.

"Aeleus!" Kairi cried with concern, adopting a defensive stance as Isa turned towards her.

"Your loss here was preordained." The young man spoke again. "Everything is transpiring according to the designs set in place long before now. Destiny favors us."

Kairi ignored him, focusing on Isa as he walked towards her with a murderous glare. She did her best not to tremble, setting her jaw and tightening her grip on her Keyblade, the one gifted to her by Riku. Inspired by the memory of her friend, she dashed forward. Surprised by her aggression, Isa was a moment too slow to bring up his weapon to block but as he did, she stopped short and pointed the end of her Keyblade at him. Focusing on the magic within her, Kairi fired a beam of light from the end of the weapon that impacted Isa directly in the chest and knocked him to the ground. A smile appeared on her face at the accomplishment but disappeared as she heard Braig chuckle from above.

"Oh gee, now you've gone and done it." The one eyed male shook his head, glancing at the young man. "Maybe you should change it back to day before he gets up Xehanort. He may be powerful like this, but he's got a temper."

An overwhelming sense of fear filled Kairi upon the mentioning of the young mans name and she looked at him with shock. That couldn't be right, could it? She had been under the impression that Xehanort was a man from the time of Yen Sids youth, somebody old and corrupted by Darkness. The picture of evil. Not a handsome young man with an even temperament.

"Indeed. We cannot have him damaging our prize." Xehanort stated, summoning his Keyblade once more.

Before he could cast the spell however, Isa's threw his claymore in their direction. His allies disappeared as the weapon crashed into the rooftop, the impact causing the building to begin to cave in on itself. Now on his feet, Isa glared at Kairi.

"You're going to pay for that!" The blue haired man growled. But instead of leaping towards Kairi, he froze for a moment or two as Sephiroth appeared behind him. As the silver haired angel flourished his weapon, Isa appeared to take multiple strikes at once before falling to the ground.

"When I fought you before, you were a worthy opponent. But now you're reduced to nothing but a wild animal, controlled by your base instincts." Sephiroth chastised the now unconscious male, looking around the area before his gaze finally settled on Kairi. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. But Isa and Aeleu-" Kairi gasped as Sephiroth dashed past her and turned to see Xehanort and Braig leaping back as the silver haired man swung his blade.

"Interesting..." Xehanort mused, dashing forward. He exchanged several blows with Sephiroth in tandem with Braig, shifting his body slightly as he attacked so that Braig could fire bolts towards the winged male. Kairi found herself marveling at their technique, astounded that two people could work together so effortlessly. However, Sephiroth didn't falter and managed to either block or dodge the bolts while also parrying each attack attempted by the youngest male present. Breaking off his assault, Xehanort leaped backwards once more and let his Keyblade disappear with a frown. "Who are you?"

"Somebody you can't hope to match." Sephiroth stated, rotating his sword casually.

"Indeed." Xehanorts frown deepened. His gaze slowly shifted to Kairi, then back to Kairi and for the first time anger flashed in his eyes. "We will have you, Princess of Heart. But for now, your stronghold will have to suffice."

Behind him Braig gestured and numerous Nobodies appeared and swarmed Sephiroth. While the winged male was occupied, Xehanort and Braig stepped into a door to the Darkness while Isa was enveloped in Darkness and just like that the Organization members were gone. A Sephiroth easily dispatched the Nobodies, Kairi ran to Aeleus' side and drew a potion out of her pouch. Throwing the healing liquid over the man, she smiled as he stirred then crossed to Lea who coughed.

"Did we win?" He asked, clutching his wound with one hand.

"Shh." Kairi stated, pouring another potion over the injury. As she did, she looked to Sephiroth who was staring at the castle intently. "Do you think they can actually take the castle?"

"I'm not sure." Sephiroth's eyes met hers briefly. "I'll head to the castle and see what I can do. Meet me there when you're done."

Kairi nodded and looked back to Lea as the winged male disappeared, watching with sympathy as Lea groaned while his skin stitched itself back together.

* * *

"H-hes gone?" Riku stuttered, completely shocked by the disappearance of Aladdin.

"Indeed." Ansem sighed and stood up, brushing the sand off of his coat. "Without a worlds Heart sustaining them, even from afar, the body cannot remain in this plane of existence."

"Wait, what about Jasmine!?" Mickey exclaimed, his eyes wide with worry.

"She will be fine, my old friend." Ansem offered a reassuring smile, but his eyes retained the sadness he clearly felt. "One of the Princesses of Heart cannot fade away so easily. They are tethered to the physical plane by the purity of the Light in their Hearts, a Light even more potent than in the Hearts of worlds."

"So all the inhabitants of Agrabah are just... gone?" Riku asked, looking down. A wave of guilt passed through him. "So many people."

"We must ensure that their sacrifice is not in vain." Ansem stated, opening his mouth to continue when he was cut off by Riku.

"Sacrifice!? They were innocent! The people of Agrabah had no idea what was going on, no involvement in Xehanorts schemes! We were supposed to protect them from him!" The boy's guilt had turned to the flame of anger in a mere instant and he turned to face Ansem, his eyes blazing with guilt ridden rage. "We failed them!"

"Riku." Mickey tried, his voice soothing. But the teenager wasn't having any of it.

"Don't tell me its going to work out Mickey! They didn't just fade into the Darkness or become Heartless! We CAN'T restore them!" Riku threw his hands up, unable to contain himself. "They're all dead and that's on us!"

"Riku, my boy." Ansem stepped towards him, his hands held up in a calming motion. "You have always taken so much upon yourself. The problems of your friends. The problems of the worlds themselves. But, this is not your fault. Xehanort did this and Xehanort is going to pay."

"But we could have stopped him..." Rikus anger faltered for a moment and Ansem jumped on it immediately.

"People have been trying to stop Xehanort since long before you were born. You are not the first group of Keyblade Warriors to attempt to drive the evil that he embodies from the worlds. Aqua, Terra and Ventus could not do it. Even before them, at the height of their power in this age when Xehanort was still one of them, the chosen of the Keyblade could not hold him back." Ansem explained.

"What do you mean the height of their power in this age?" Riku questioned.

"That is a story for another time. Right now we must focus all our energies into gathering the alliance against Xehanort, not on guilt for the actions of that madman." Ansem concluded, a smile gracing his face.

"..." A variety of emotions flashed through Riku and he let out a shaky breath before nodding. "You're right. Whats our next move?"

"You're here to collect Aqua I assume?" Ansem questioned, continuing after the Keyblade Masters nodded. "She was here not long ago. I informed her about the state of the worlds when I was forced into this Realm and she resolved to help in whatever way she could."

"Where did she go?" Mickey asked, his eyes lighting up at the mention that his friend was okay.

"A place you will know quite well Riku." Ansem reached into his pocket and pulled out a card with a crown shaped top, holding it out to Riku.

"Castle Oblivion?" Riku took the card and studied it. Depicted on it's surface was the main gate to enter the structure. Slipping it into his pocket, he frowned. "Why would she go there? It's just an old stronghold of Organization XIII."

"Because she is looking for something." A familiar voice spoke behind them and the two Keyblade Masters turned to see the pink haired male from before.

"You!" Riku summoned his Keyblade and prepared to attack the male while Mickey looked on, clearly confused by his appearance.

"Riku stop." Riku looked to Ansem in surprise as the old man frowned at him. "Lauriam is not your enemy."

"I am more than happy to change my stance towards you warriors of the Light, if you would prefer." Lauriam shook his head, looking past the two to Ansem. "Have the others reported back?"

"No. But we must move forward." Ansem stated gravely. "Lauriam is the leader of a new Organization, one dedicated to restoring the worlds to a sense of balance. Something they cannot do if they are stuck in the Realm of Darkness."

"Ya used the Darkness to get us to Jafar. Can't ya just use it to get yourself out?" Mickey inquired as Riku let his Keyblade disappear.

"I cannot. In order for one to freely travel between the Realms of Darkness and Light, they must have something tethering them to either side. Since my original death took place here in the Darkness, this is where I woke up and I cannot return to the Light so easily." Lauriam explained, his tone making it clear he was not pleased with his situation.

"This Organization, are all the members here in the Realm of Darkness?" Riku asked.

"Obviously." Lauriam rolled his eyes. "Anyway, we should be off to the castle."

"Wait a second, who said you were tagging along?" Riku frowned, shaking his head. "We'll find our own way."

"I am going to that place whether you desire my assistance or not." Lauriam raised his hand and summoned a Door to the Darkness, moving towards it. As he did, he looked to Ansem. "Good luck."

"And to you." Ansem nodded.

As Lauriam disappeared into the Door to the Darkness, Riku and Mickey shared a look. Ansem chuckled and moved to sit on the shore line, staring out at the ocean with a placid expression. The Door remained open to them and together the Keyblade Masters followed the pink haired male to whatever awaited them in Castle Oblivion.

* * *

"What happened?" Aeleus asked, sitting up and rubbing his head where the blunt edge of Isa's blade had impacted.

"Sephiroth happened." Lea explained, one hand over his still healing wound where his coat had been torn open. His eyes went to Kairi who was now staring in the direction of the castle with a serious expression. "Sephiroth will be fine. From what I've seen of him, he might just be on Xemnas' level in terms of power."

"I'm not worried about him." Kairi sighed and looked down. "We just got here and the Organization is already causing trouble for these people. Maybe we should just leave this world and go somewhere else to train."

"Like where?" Lea raised an eyebrow as he forced himself to sit up with a groan. "It doesn't matter where we go Kai. They'll find us."

"There must be something we can do to protect this world then." Kairi glanced to the side where Aerith was rushing towards them all.

The older girl took stock of the situation, first running to Tifa, Leon and Yuffie. Kneeling down beside them, she whispered some words and waved her hands over them. As she did, her friends briefly lit up with a dull green light and moments later they all began to stir. Smiling, Aerith looked to Kairi.

"Go and help the others at the castle. We'll catch up." Aerith stated, glancing back to her friends.

"Right." Kairi nodded.

"Hey wait!" Lea exclaimed, trying to get up and failing. "You can't just run in there by yourself. They made it clear that their goal was you."

"I have to do this Lea." Kairi stated, summoning her Keyblade and running away from the group, ignoring the red head's protests. Her expression was determined as she moved towards the castle, her focus completely on doing whatever she could to help the people still in there.

* * *

"Come on!" Ignis cried, leaping back towards Xemnas after being knocked back by a blast of Darkness.

"So slow." Xemnas droned, raising his hand to catch the weapon in his grasp. Around his hand, several blots of electricity crackled wildly.

"Take this!" Sora exclaimed as he joined the battle, leaping high into the air and bringing both Keyblades down towards the master of the Nobodies.

Xemnas casually raised his other hand towards Sora and a barrier of blue energy appeared. Soras weapons slammed into the barrier but did not break it and Xemnas closed his hand into a fist, causing the barrier to explode and send Sora high into the air. Still clutching Ignis Keyblade in his other hand, Xemnas summoned an Ethereal blade in his free hand, swinging it towards Ignis armored side. Just before it impacted the Keyblade Masters side, Oblivion blocked the strike, having been thrown by Sora as he was blasted upwards. With his attack blocked, Xemnas grunted as Ignis kicked him solidly in the chest, causing the Nobody of Xehanort to lose his grip on the Keyblade and allowing Ignis to flip backwards.

As Ignis landed, Xemnas recovered himself and dashed forward as he summoned an Ethereal Blade to his other hand. The two warriors engaged in a furious dance, each blocking and parrying strikes in a bid to gain the upper hand. Meanwhile, Sora began to fall back down towards them and summoned Oblivion back into his grasp. With a determined expression, he shifted his body into a diving position and picked up speed, hurtling downwards as the others battled below. As Ignis and Xemnas locked blades, Sora had reached them and slashed his Keyblades in a crossed formation at Xemnas. But his blades hit nothing but air and the boy quickly righted himself, landing heavily but on his feet. Xemnas appeared in front of them both several feet away, letting his Ethereal Blades disappear.

"You truly are pathetic Sora. Relying on the power of your Nobody because you yourself lack any." Xemnas' words were spoken with a monotone as always, but undeniably sharp. "That is what made you such a perfect candidate for the process of joining our Organization. You are, and have always been, an empty vessel. Nothing but a foolish child fumbling through the worlds and finding successes based on chance rather than actual merit."

"You're wrong!" Sora growled, shifting into an aggressive stance. "My friends ar-"

"Yes, yes. They are your power." Xemnas' gaze hardened and he took a step towards them. "Allow me to show you mine."

Xemnas faded out of existence briefly then appeared directly in front of Sora. Sora swung Oblivion but instead of connecting, the Keyblade sailed right through the Nobody. Surprise crossed Soras face as Ignis leaped forth and attempted to attack but his weapon slashed through air as Xemnas disappeared once more. Sora felt the hairs on the back of his head stand up and begun to turn only to cry out in pain as surges of lightning slammed into his back and lifted him off the ground. As the energy surged through his body, Sora felt his Keyblades disappear and his mind started to go foggy.

Beside him, Ignis held up his Keyblade defensively to block a similar stream directed at him. Lucky enough to have Keyblade armor, the Keyblade Master slowly but surely began to walk towards Xemnas. The Nobody frowned and released Sora from the energy, the brown haired male falling to the ground in a heap, his body shaking violently as the current left his body. Xemnas ended his assault on Ignis as well, looking up at the sky with narrowed eyes before opening a door to the Darkness behind him.

"It appears our time is up." Xemnas drawled, stepping into the pool of dark energy. As he left the world, time slowly began to flow normally again and Ignis rushed to Soras side.

* * *

Master Xehanort sat atop the highest throne in the Round Room of the Castle that Never was, one leg crossed casually over the other as his head rested on his fist. Three of the other thrones were full, one occupied by his Heartless, another by a replica of his failed vessel and the other by the boy he had corrupted many years ago. They were all silent, knowing there was no need to speak until all of their current members were present. The aged Keyblade Master's gaze slowly went to the throne directly opposite to him, a dissatisfied frown slowly forming. While it was a temporary setback, it did not sit well with him that they had failed to corrupt Sora to their side. The time had been perfect, the boy's body completely drained of it's power and ripe for the harvest.

As the other members finally began to appear, Master Xehanort allowed himself to silently study them. First to arrive was Vanitas or at least, what was left of him. It had been a great surprise to discover that the shell of his former apprentice still roamed the Keyblade Graveyard in the present day, much like the remnant of Eraqus' own prized pupil. Despite not having a Heart, the shell of Vanitas had proven slightly irritating to subdue, having retained all of it's muscle memory. Upon fusing a piece of his own Heart with the body, Master Xehanort was pleased that the boy retained much of his own personality though he did lack the flare Vanitas had once possessed.

Next to arrive were his youngest self, alongside the one eyed marksman and the easily provoked warrior. A brief examination of their facial expressions revealed all Master Xehanort needed to know about the state of their assignment and he chuckled softly, which drew his younger selves attention. The boys stare was full of frustration and restrained anger, but he attempted to hide it with a composed stance as he mimicked his older selves stance. Master Xehanort smirked and let his gaze slip from his younger self as the final members of his Organization arrived, including his Nobody. One throne was noticeably absent but he knew they would be occupied soon enough. They had plenty of time, especially considering the fact that the World that Never Was operated outside of the usual structure of time.

"Report." Master Xehanort demanded, despite already having deduced the state of their missions.

"They did not have any useful information about the girl or the boy." The body of Terra replied, clenching his hands into fists as he looked up to Master Xehanort. He spoke again, his eyes shifting to blue. "You won't have them!"

"We shall see." Master Xehanort grinned darkly as the possessed boys eyes changed back to amber and he looked down.

"The Vizier was taken care of. Agrabah is gone." Vanitas replied next, chuckling dryly. "The King and that kid didn't even put up a fight and the Vizier disappeared not long after, despite having his Heart unlocked by the Keyblade of Peoples Hearts."

"So Ansem's research on the Worlds was correct. How intriguing." Master Xehanort mused, looking next to his youngest self.

"We were surprised by a warrior interfering in our attempt to capture the Princess of Heart." His youngest selves tone displayed his obvious annoyance at the situation.

"A single warrior kept you from collecting her?" Master Xehanort raised an eyebrow, looking to Isa as the blue haired man growled.

"He was no ordinary warrior." The berserker stated.

"He really wasn't." Braig added, shaking his head. "His presence was ridiculous. It was like facing down an embodiment of pure, unchained power."

"And Isa allowed himself to lose control, putting us at a disadvantage when the warrior cut him down with ease." Xehanorts youngest self glared at Isa who fell silent.

"No matter. We can afford to wait for the girl to leave the safety of that broken world." Master Xehanort allowed himself a moment to adjust his position, straightening his back and letting his arms fall on the rests of the throne as his gaze fell on his Nobody. "And Sora?"

"It appears that Roxas has given him assistance somehow." Xemnas drawled, raising a hand to stroke his chin in thought. "I also sensed the presence of a Replica that I created from the memories of Sora not long before he destroyed your Heartless. By all rights, she should no longer exist."

"If she is a part of Sora, then she will always exist." One of the three still hooded members spoke up.

"Indeed." Master Xehanort took a moment to consider the state of affairs before looking to his Heartless. "Can you sense Riku?"

"It's difficult outside of the Realm of Darkness." His Heartless stated, closing his eyes in concentration for a moment. The replica perked up at this, his gaze also going to the Heartless. 'Ansems' brow crinkled in confusion before he opened them again and replied. "He is in the through lines currently. I believe he is heading towards Castle Oblivion."

"Is he now?" Looking to his Nobody, Master Xehanort spoke once more. "The two of you will go after him. I want to know what that child and the little King are up to."

"What about Sora and the Princess?" The hooded member that had spoken before questioned as Xehanorts Heartless and Nobody disappeared into Darkness.

"We will watch the Princess." Master Xehanort replied with a bored tone, nodding to his youngest self and Braig who disappeared into the Darkness as well. "As for Sora, I believe it's time I spoke to that boy face to face."

"Is that wise?" The hooded member asked, their voice showing concern. "We are still one member short and your power will remain diminished outside of this world until the Organization is complete."

"I do not require a cautionary lecture on what is and is not wise." Master Xehanort snapped in reply, his eyes narrowing dangerously. When he spoke next, there was an edge to his tone. "We would be much closer to completing our goal if you had not failed to find that box."

"We wouldn't need to find it if your Nobody hadn't lost control of Lauriam and lost the valuable information he possessed." The hooded member's own reply was equally as sharp as Master Xehanorts own. "I will not suffer this incompetence forever."

"You will suffer whatever I deem necessary." Master Xehanort stated, his expression one of complete disgust. "You would do well to remember whose power it is that allows you to pursue a new destiny."

"O-of course." The hooded member conceded, looking down and falling silent.

"Ensure that Sora's path is altered and set him on the path to the Keyblade Graveyard." Master Xehanort ordered, looking to the possessed boy who nodded and disappeared. His gaze shifted to Vanitas as the elderly male himself began to fade into Darkness. "You will come with me to await Sora. I do not wish to have that animated reminder of my previous failure interfere with our little chat."

* * *

Kairi managed to fight her way to the Castle, bursting into the entrance hallway and staring at the Heartless that filled it. Swallowing her fear, she allowed determination to fill her once more and rushed towards them. She cut down several of them, but quickly began to find herself overwhelmed. Setting her sights on the end of the hallway, she ran for it, cutting down those in the way while ignoring the others. Reaching the door at the end, she ran through and slammed it behind her, her Heart beating wildly in her chest.

"Kairi?" She looked up to see Ienzo walking towards her. He was clutching his open book in one hand, with a large gash on his forehead. "I thought you were another Heartless."

"You're hurt." Kairi stated, pulling out another potion and moving to meet him. Pouring the potion over the gash, she took note of the fact that she only had one left as his wound started to heal. "What happened?"

"I'm not certain. The castles defenses should have kept them out. Which leads me to believe that either the defenses are down, or the creatures were summoned inside. The interior alarm went off and I came to see what was wrong." Ienzo replied, glancing around. "We should retreat to the lab. It's by far the most defensible room in this place."

Kairi nodded and together they began to retreat, but moments later the door burst open and the Heartless swarmed in. The creatures tore over one another in a frantic scramble to reach the two living people and quickly formed a sort of swarm. Kairi's eyes went wide and she raised her Keyblade to defend herself when Ienzos book appeared in front of her. It enlarged itself ten times over and blocked the attack but instead of stopping the assault completely, it only briefly slowed them down.

"Tch." Izeno snarled as the Heartless began to crawl around the book rapidly and snapped his fingers. The book exploded, engulfing the creatures in a blast of flame and smoke, with the book restored to its original side appearing in his grasp moments later. Moving to grab Kairi by the elbow, he turned and headed for the other door. "We must hurry!"

Following Ienzo, they left the room and entered another hallway. As they fled, Heartless appeared in front of them but together they cut them down. It didn't take long for them to reach the laboratory and Izeno quickly moved to the computer, his hands flying over the Keys. Moments later, shutters fell down across the windows and doors and artificial lights sprang from the rooftop. Kairi watched the door, hearing the sounds of Heartless banging on it and her grip tightened on her Keyblade.

"It will hold." Ienzo reassured her, pressing a button as it flashed. "Cloud?"

"You've activated the Castles lock down procedure." Cloud stated, the sounds of him cutting down Heartless illuminating the space behind his voice. "Do we know how they're getting in?"

"Somebody must be summoning them from the inside, because the alarm only went off after they swarmed the halls." Ienzo stated, bringing up a map of the building. Kairi crossed to the screens, also studying the map intently. "Perhaps a member of the Organization?"

"I don't think so." Cloud grunted, letting out a battle cry. Moments later, his voice crossed the line once more, this time sounding somewhat labored. "The Organization hasn't made a move here since the Battle of the Thousand Heartless."

"Actually, three of their members were here." Kairi added, noticing that Ienzos face darkened at the mention of the members. "They retreated, but one of them said that they were going to take out stronghold."

"Scan the castle interior for a significant presence of the Darkness." Cloud ordered. In the background, a roar drowned out his own battle cry.

"Right." Ienzo nodded, pressing several keys. The map display flickered for a moment before stabilizing. A massive red dot appeared on it and the scientist frowned. "There is a considerable presence in the Throne room."

"I'll head there." Cloud said.

"You'll never get through the lock down protocol. And I'm not bringing it down for one person." Ienzo replied, a frown appearing on his face.

Suddenly the entire room shook and Kairi let out a gasp as she fell to the ground. Izeno grabbed the computer station to steady himself and looked around with shock. It happened again, this time causing several books to fall from the shelves. As Kairi pulled herself back up to her feet, Clouds voice came through again.

"From the looks of things, you won't have to." He stated before ending the transmission.

"We have to help him!" Kairi exclaimed.

"We cannot afford to let this laboratory fall. I cannot, in good conscience, allow for a reckless suicide mission. We must wait this out." Ienzo's tone was cold, his expression hard as stone.

"I'm going to help." Kairi glared at the male, raising her Keyblade towards him. Her voice shook when she spoke next. "Let me out."

"Really?" Ienzo looked first to her weapon, then to her. His eyes narrowed and a thin smirk appeared on his face. "You would strike me down over a one in one-hundred chance of pushing the Heartless back?"

"I don't want to hurt you, but I will get out of this room." Kairi replied, her voice stabilizing as each word gave her more confidence. "Sephiroth is out there too. You can try to contact him to come and help us."

Ienzo stared at her for a long moment before sighing and mumbling something about the Xemnas being right about the denizens of Light. Pressing two Keys, he unlocked the door and the shutter flew up. In a flash, he summoned a small device from his book and handed it to Kairi.

"This will allow for me to direct you to the Throne room and update you on everyone's progress." He said, turning back to the display. "Now go. I will be closing that door behind you and not opening it until the threat is gone."

Kairi nodded, putting the ear piece in and exiting the room. She heard the shutter return to place behind her and was surprised to see that the Heartless were no longer swarming the room, confused as they had been bombarding the door moments before. Steeling herself for battle, she took a right and left the corridor that led to the Laboratory.

* * *

Riku stepped out of the door to the Darkness alongside Mickey, taking in the unpleasantly familiar sight of Castle Oblivion before them. Not far in front, Lauriam had already began to walk up the path towards the massive structure. The Darkness surrounded the entire place and Riku felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, but he didn't feel threatened by it anymore. Just on guard. The Darkness wasn't a force inherently evil after all, but instead a force of nature that was more easily bent to the will of people with evil intentions.

Together with his fellow Keyblade Master, Riku followed Lauriam up the winding path towards the castle. As they grew nearer, Riku felt an ominous presence which grew with each step they took. Soon enough, they reached the large doors that allowed for entrance into the building and Lauriam looked at Riku expectantly.

"What?" Riku asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The card." Lauriam deadpanned, looking torn between hitting the boy and laughing at the fact he didn't know what to do.

"R-right." Riku stated, drawing the card out and holding it up towards the doors.

Moments later the card turned into a small ball of light that sped from Rikus hand and flew into the doors. A series of clicks could be heard and the entire door lit up momentarily then one of the doors opened. With the interior darkened, Lauriam casually walked through the threshold. Sharing a glance, Riku and Mickey also stepped in. Riku looked around, memories swarming to the forefront of his mind as he took in the pure white walls and floor. Behind them, the doors closed and the whirring of locks made it clear that they wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.

"It has been some time." A slight smile appeared on Lauriams face, his eyes surveying the hallway.

"You know this place?" Riku questioned him, shaking off his own memories to focus on the present.

"You don't actually think that Leaxus, Vexen and Zexion were the only members of the Organization present when you arrived, do you?" Lauriam turned to look at him with a chuckle. "I was once the master of this place, assigned to be the Warden of this castle because our foolish leader was wary of my 'plans to destroy him'."

"You were gunna betray the Organization?" Mickey chimed in.

"I made it seem that way, yes." Lauriam replied, sadness flashing in his eyes but he blinked it away. With a self confident smirk, he continued. "He was so worried about my little schemes that he sent Axel to stop them."

"So you weren't going to betray the Organization?" Riku asked, confusion clear on his face.

"To betray something infers that you were loyal to it in the first place." Lauriam replied, raising his arm and sweeping it across the air in front of him dramatically. "Tell me, Masters of the Keyblade. What do you make of this Castle? What is it's purpose?"

"It's a stronghold for the Organization. A place for them to carry out their experiments, like creating replicas of people." Riku stated, a wave of guilt washing over him as he recalled the death of his own replica.

"I've never really thought about it." Mickey added, biting his lip in thought.

"This is why those who dedicate themselves to the Light continuously fail. You are blinded by the Light you so diligently enforce, unable to see what is right in front of you." Lauriam rolled his eyes before continuing. "This place is a prison and there is only one prisoner. A boy, lost in a deep slumber. I intended to use Namine to control Sora and awaken this boy, under the pretense of using the Keyblade against the Organization."

"A boy, lost in a deep slumber..." Mickey repeated, recognition flaring in his eyes a moment later. "You can't mean-"

The King was cut off as Riku stepped in front of him, summoning his Keyblade to defend against an attacker wearing the Organization coat. As Lauriam looked on, the attacker flipped backwards, raising his hand to unleash a Dark Firaga with Riku slashed through with his Keyblade causing a small explosion that briefly covered the area. As the dust settled, Rikus eyes widened in shock as the attacker pulled down his hood to reveal a familiar face.

"You!" Riku exclaimed, taking in his own younger face. The face of his replica, only now the boy had amber eyes.

* * *

"The presence in the Throne room is increasing." Ienzos voice came through the ear piece as Kairi made her way down the final hallway before her destination. "From what I can infer, the Heartless have all converged on that room."

"Good. That means whatever is controlling them is definitely there." Kairi replied, increasing her pace.

"Kairi, don't take offense to this. But you were brought here to train. I don't think this is a good idea, considering your inexperience." Ienzo stated.

"Cloud will be there, so I'm sure I'll be fine." Kairi replied once more, reaching the door. "Here goes."

The Princess of Heart pushed open the door and immediately felt the presence of Darkness wash over her entire body. Her Heart reacted, sending a warm sensation throughout her form to counteract the chill of the Darkness. Within the room, the Heartless were assembled in a strangely organized fashion. Upon the Throne sat a Heartless with a human like form, covered from head to toe in black armor. By it's side stood two other armored figures while hundreds of Heartless stood before the Throne. It was almost like the Heartless on the Throne was holding court.

Kairi stared for too long and all the Heartless' eyes went to her. The sea of Heartless parted, giving her a direct path to the Throne and warily, she began to walk towards it. She could feel the malice dripping off of the Heartless as she passed them but made it to the Throne without one of them attacking her. As she stood before the Throne, the 'King' stared at her silently before looking to the 'Guard' standing to it's left. Without warning, the 'Guard' leaped forward as it summoned a lance made of Darkness.

Kairi brought up her Keyblade to block, gritting her teeth at the force behind the attack. She rolled to the side to avoid another strike and swung her Keyblade wildly at the 'Guards' hip. To her satisfaction, the attack found it's mark and cut through the creature earning a wild cry from the Heartless. Kairi raised her weapon to swing once more but instead felt the back of the 'Guards' free hand hit her face and she was sent several feet back, crashing on the ground hard. With a groan, she got back to her feet and prepared herself for another attack.

The 'Guard' tilted it's head to the side, watching her for a moment before springing forth once more. As it approached, Kairi brought up her weapon to block but needn't have worried as Cloud flew past her and dispatched the creature with a single blow. The other 'Guard' leaped towards him with an almost angry cry but was dispatched just as easily. Cloud glanced at her as he readied his weapon once more, the 'King' silent on the Throne.

"You have so much to learn about fighting." He stated coldly before turning his attention to the 'King'.

"I was doing fine thank you." Kairi sassed back, also looking to the 'King'.

Slowly, the 'King' stood from the Throne and raised its hand in the direction of the sea of Heartless. Several of them disappeared, their Hearts appearing from the remains but instead of floating upwards, they sped towards the outstretched hand of the 'King' and were absorbed. This happened twice more, the 'King' not changing outwardly as it absorbed more Hearts. When it was finished, the 'King' summoned a sword and shield of Darkness and leaped towards Cloud. Unlike the 'Guards', the 'King' was not dispatched with one blow and instead blocked the swordsman attack with its shield, countering with a swing of its sword. Cloud blocked with his own massive blade and parried, but as he swung, the 'King' dashed to the side well out of the intended target of the attack. Without warning, it sped towards Kairi.

Kairi brought up her Keyblade and blocked the 'Kings' sword but let out a cry as the Heartless changed tactics and forced her weapon aside, slamming into her with it's shield. Reeling from the strike, Kairi swayed and was left open as the 'King' swung it's sword for her side. However, Cloud appeared at her side and pushed her out of the way of the attack, his sword having split into to weapons. One locked with the 'Kings' sword and the other pushing against its shield. Kairi rolled several times on the ground from the force of Clouds push, using the momentum to find her feet again and raising her hand to rub her head as it recovered from the shield smashing into it.

"Kairi are you okay!?" Ienzos voice screamed through the earpiece and Kairi winced, not enjoying the noise coming as her head throbbed.

"I'm fine." Kairi replied, watching as Cloud and the 'King' exchanged blows. "Theres a unique Heartless here. It's fighting Cloud with a sword and shield and can absorb other Heartless."

"Interesting. How many other Heartless are there?" Ienzo asked, sounding thoughtful.

"Hundreds?" Kairi replied, looking at the veritable army.

"Attack them. Perhaps they are the source of it's power." Ienzo commanded.

"Right." Kairi replied, turning away from the duel and towards the other Heartless.

* * *

Riku glared as he fended off another attack by his replica, the amber eyed version of himself smiling as he swung Souleater once more. Behind him, Mickey had recovered from the surprise and entered the fray, swinging his own weapon at the replica. Together, Mickey and Riku pushed the clone back rather quickly. With a growl of frustration, the replica quickly realized he was losing and leaped out of reach of their weapons, his back to Lauriam who watched the whole thing with a look of great interest.

"How is this possible?" Riku demanded, adopting his battle ready position. "You disappeared into the Darkness."

"Which is where I wandered alone for what seemed like forever." The replica replied, his tone sharp. "Master Xehanort found me and gave me purpose."

"The purpose of destroying everything!" Riku declared in accusation.

"No." The replica chuckled, his eyes lighting up with amusement. "I'm going to usher in the future. Me, a replica."

"You don't have to be a slave to him anymore." Riku tried, sympathy in his expression and tone. Holding out his free hand to the Replica, he spoke again. "I can help you."

"Help me?" The replica chuckled again, though this time there was no humor in it. Only disdain. "You always put yourself on such a pedestal. I don't want your help and I sure as heck don't need it."

Riku opened his mouth to say something else but his eyes went wide as his replica raised Souleater. It began to shift and soon transformed into a Keyblade identical to Rikus own, except the wings on both the handle and the edge were black. Beside him Mickey gasped and behind the replica, Lauriam raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Don't look so surprised." The replica said, spinning the weapon in his hand casually. "I am the perfect version of you after all."

Without another word, the replica leaped towards them once more. This time, Riku and Mickey were slow to sync up and the replica used this to his advantage. Blocking Rikus Keyblade with his own, the replica raised his hand towards Mickey and unleashed a Dark Firaga that sent the King flying into the wall. As the King fell to the ground and didn't move, Riku gritted his teeth as he brought up his weapon to block an attack. With a cry of anger with each strike, the replica unleashed a barrage that put Riku completely on the defensive, unable to parry because he was so busy making sure not to be hit.

Suddenly Lauriam appeared behind the replica in a flash of flower petals, his hand falling on the clones shoulder. Before the replica could react, multiple thorns sprang from the ground, winding their way around his body and restricting his limbs. Riku felt a pang of sympathy go through him as the replica showed signs of panic.

"That will be quite enough of your little episode." Lauriam stated, his grip tightening on the shoulder of his prisoner. As it did, the vines also tightened and their snare let out a gasp of pain. Moments later, he released his Keyblade and it disappeared in a pool of Darkness. "Why are you here?"

"I'll tell you n-" The replica let out a cry as Lauriams vines tightened even more.

"Stop!" Riku demanded, letting his own Keyblade disappear. "He's not like the others."

"I know exactly what this replica is. He was created to be a tool for the original Organization, nothing more." Letting out a harsh bark of laughter, Lauriam rolled his eyes. "And now he's a tool for Xehanorts new one. Pathetic, truly."

"I'm not a tool!" The replica protested through gritted teeth.

"Oh?" Lauriam feigned shock. "What are you then?"

"I'm a part of a group that is going to bring about the greatest change the worlds have ever known." The replica stated proudly.

"So you know about the Book then?" Lauriam questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"The Book...?" Both the replica and the original questioned at the same time.

"This one." Lauriam stated, casually summoning a hard covered black book with a strange white symbol on the front. "I suppose the correct title for it would be the Book of Prophecies."

* * *

As Kairi began to cut down the crown of Heartless, it became extremely clear that it was making the 'King' quite agitated. Luckily for her, the crown of Heartless didn't react at all, which was strange but she wasn't going to question it. Each Heartless disappeared and their Heart floated upwards and out of sight while Cloud continued to battle the 'King'. Kairi wasn't watching, focusing on her task, but the castle rumbled with each blow exchanged by the combatants.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but Kairi found herself gasping for air after cutting down about a third of the creatures of Darkness and spared a glance in the direction of Cloud and the 'King'. Their blades were locked and it looked like the 'King' was at the disadvantage. Kairi smiled then looked back to her task, a wave of apprehension washing over her.

"I'm going to pass out before I can get rid of them all." She said to herself with a frown. "There must be an easier way to do this?"

 **"Unleash the power residing in your Heart. One of the Seven Pure Lights."**

Kairi's eyes widened and she looked around for the source of the voice, remembering it from that other place where Namine was. Raising her free hand to her chest slowly, she thought about what to do before nodding. She focused on her Heart, on the Light within it. As she did, she felt her entire body grow warmer and warmer and smiled. However, the feeling continued to increase to the point where it felt like she was going to explode. Letting out a gasp, Kairi clenched her fists and let out a scream. As she did, Light did indeed explode from within her and consumed the entire room within moments.

As it faded, Kairi felt her head go light and everything went black. She opened her eyes again moments later to find herself back in the white room from before. Namine sat beside her and smiled softly.

"You have unleashed one of the powers hidden within you." Namine informed her.

"It... hurt." Kairi stated, raising both hands to her chest.

"You're just not used to it. Your body can't process the power you just displayed." Namine explained. "You won't be able to do that often, it's something that builds up over time. But with training, you should be able to keep yourself from passing out."

"That voice... told me to do it." Kairi said.

 **"You've taken your first step towards becoming what you are meant to be."**

"I thought you couldn't give me answers." Kairi accused the voice, looking upwards with a glare.

The voice fell silent and Kairi felt a presence suddenly leave the room, like a breeze just passing through. It made her shiver and she hugged herself nervously. Namine meanwhile drew out her pad and summoning a crayon to her hand. Kairi watched as the girl drew something, impressed by the fact the crayon changed color automatically instead of her Nobody having to use a new one for each color. Namine finished quickly, the crayon disappearing as she turned the drawing towards Kairi. It was of Sora and Riku standing together, each of them holding the others hand. This time their eyes were open. What made Kairi gasp however, was the fact that both of them now had white hair and amber eyes.

"If you had to save one of them, which one would it be?" Namine questioned, repeating her inquiry from Kairi's last visit to that place.

"I told you before, I'd save both of them! Even if it meant that I had to die!" Kairi exclaimed, conviction in every word.

"You still don't understand what's at stake..." Namine sighed and looked down. The next words that came out of her mouth were not her own and Kairi shivered as the breeze like sensation rushed back past her.

 **"Wake up!"**

* * *

"Wake up!"

Soras eyes snapped open and took in the faces of Ignis, Hercules, Donald and Goofy all looking down at him with concern that changed to relief. Ignis helped him to sit up and he rubbed his head, the thoughts in his mind fuzzy. Slowly but surely, he recalled the fight and being assaulted by the lightning from Xemnas before passing out.

"How are you feeling?" Ignis asked.

"My head..." Sora winced, his head throbbing.

"What happened?" Donald and Goofy inquired together.

"Xemnas stopped time and attacked us. Then Sora came at him with two Keyblades." Ignis frowned. "Speaking of which, how did you manage that? I've never heard of someone being able to dual wield."

"Roxas." Sora said the one word in explanation and looked to Hercules. "What about Hades?"

"He's gone. I doubt he'll be back for a while." Hercules replied with a smile, which was replaced by a saddened expression. "Sora, I have to tell you something..."

"Whats that?" Sora asked.

"You need to leave and not come back." Phil interrupted, pushing his way past Hercules who remained silent. "We appreciate what you've done before but you being here always causes trouble and we can't be bothered with it."

"Oh... Okay." Sora looked down quietly.

"You ungrateful little...!" Donald exclaimed, summoning his staff. However, he was stopped by Ignis who stepped between the wizard and the hero trainer with a stern expression. "Get out of my way!"

"If the inhabitants of a world don't want us here, we cannot dispute their decision." Ignis reminded Donald. "How do you guys travel?"

"With the Gummi ship." Goofy replied. As if on cue, the ship descended from the skies and landed behind the group.

"Sora, I'm sorry." Hercules said, regret clear in his tone.

"It's fine." Sora replied coldly, moving past the demi God and walking up the ramp to the cockpit of the Gummi ship.

Goofy, Donald and Ignis followed the boy and once they were all aboard the ship, they took off. It didn't take them long to reach the upper atmosphere of the world and they soon found themselves back in the lanes between the Worlds. Sora was unusually quite in his seat so Donald acted as the main pilot. Ignis busied himself with studying the technology that was new to him and Goofy headed down to maintenance to see how Chip and Dale were doing. When the portal opened in front of them, nobody was ready for evasive action and the Gummi ship sped into the unknown.


	7. An Omen

Authors Note

Hey guys. :) So just like my Symphony of Sorrows fic (Which WILL be receiving updates as well), this fic is going to get an 'Opening Movie' chapter. Mainly because I love how the Kingdom Hearts Series always starts with movies that foreshadow what's going to happen in some way. So I feel like my fic should have one in a written capacity! You can of course skip this if you want. It's not essential reading, just a bit of fun. Theres a bonus scene at the end for those who are here for the story. :)

For those who are confused, the first six chapters were a prologue to my fic. Kind of like a condensed version of the Twilight Town portion in KH2. From now on things will progress just like in the KH games. Worlds, Plot explanations and all that good stuff.

If you've stuck around to read this 'Opening Movie', I hope you enjoy!

P.S For my fic Sakura Nagashi by Hikaru Utada is the Theme Song. :) I ADORE Dont Think Twice and Chikai (and can't wait for Utadas album) but this fic has been a brain child of mine for a few years and Sakura Nagashi has always been the song. :)

* * *

 _How could we have known then..._

 _That no matter what we did..._

 _The Light would fade..._

 _And Darkness would prevail?_

An adult Xehanort sits on the sideways trunk of the Paupu Fruit tree on Destiny Islands, staring up at the night sky with a Paupu Fruit held in one hand. He has a serene expression on his face, his amber eyes peaceful for once. The sun begins to rise and a scowl appears on his face as he slowly disappears, throwing the Paupu Fruit behind him. Three children approach the tree, the tallest of them catching the fruit. They are Sora, Riku and Kairi as children. As the sun now shines down on them, Riku divides the fruit into three and they each eat their portion happily. They all turn suddenly and an aged Master Xehanort now stands there with a mournful expression. The scene changes for a brief second and the three children are replaced by Xehanort, Eraqus and Yen Sid in their youth. The scene changes back and Master Xehanort says something before he extends his hand to the children. Sora and Kairi shake their heads while Riku runs towards him.

Sora yells something at Riku but the scene changes. He's now in Traverse Town alongside Donald and Goofy, waving goodbye to the residents as they board the Gummi Ship. Suddenly Sora falls through the floor of the Gummi ship and raises his Keyblade to defend against the possessed Riku wielding the Keyblade of Peoples Hearts in Hollow Bastion, yelling at his friend to stop. Possessed Riku laughs and continues to attack him as Master Xehanort looks on behind him, a satisfied smile on his face. A flash of Light reveals Aqua and Mickey who attack Master Xehanort and Riku regains himself, joining the battle. Sora looks on as Master Xehanort drags all three warriors into the Darkness, leaving Sora alone until Kairi appears in front of him with a smile and the two change into Roxas and Namine.

Riku looks up at Soras unconscious form inside the Memory Pod on the top floor of Castle Oblivion alongside Mickey, both of them wearing Organization XIII cloaks. Namine walks up behind them with her note pad and shows them a sketch of Roxas. A sad expression crosses Mickeys face as he mistakes him for Ven, pulling up his hood and leaving. Namine says something and Riku nods, putting on a blind fold and entering a Door to the Darkness. Looking down at her notepad, Namine flips to the next page that shows Ventus asleep on the throne on a lower level. The scene changes to Riku fighting against Roxas in the World that Never Was and he is knocked to the ground, defeated. Roxas stands over him with a dark smirk and shifts into Sora. Behind him, Master Xehanort stands triumphantly. Sora raises his Keyblade to finish Riku off but Xion appears and takes the blow instead, disappearing in a flash of Light that envelops Sora too. The Light clears and Sora now lies unconscious on the ground. Riku pulls off the blind fold then shakes his friend and looks back to where Master Xehanort was standing just in time to see him entering a Door to the Darkness.

A young Kairi is in Radiant Garden, grinning as Aeleus and Dilan bow to her as she sits on the throne in the castle. Nearby, Ansem the Wise, Braig, Even and Ienzo laugh while apprentice Xehanort looks on. Kairi looks up and sees Lea and Isa peering through the window, with Lea waving to her with a bright smile. Night falls suddenly and Kairi's eyes widen as Braig and Xehanort attack everybody present. Asnem the Wise runs for the door and Xehanort appears in front of Kairi, his Guardian Heartless reaching out for her. In a brilliant blast of flame, Lea appears between them with his Chakrams and attacks Xehanort. Lea is knocked back by Isa suddenly and the blue haired man stands alongside Xehanort and Braig as they smile victoriously. Kairi raises her hand towards Xehanort and Xehanorts guardian suddenly changes into Terra, who holds the villains back while Lea grabs Kairi and the two dive through a Door to the Light.

Sora, Kairi and Riku all run into one another in Radiant Garden, smiling as they see each other again before their attention is drawn to a hooded member of Organization XIII. The three warriors of Light summon their Keyblades and charge towards the Organization member, who summons a Keyblade with a black Fox depicted on it. As Sora leaps into the air above, with Riku and Kairi moving to box the Organization members in, the scene changes. Sora, Riku and Kairi are replaced with Ventus, Terra and Aqua respectively, while the Organization member changes to Master Xehanort. Ventus falls from the air and clashes with Master Xehanort, who smiles and raises his free hand towards Terra. A wave of Darkness hits Terra in the chest as the scene changes again. Now Lauriam stands in Master Xehanorts place, holding a completed book of Prophecies in one hand and a Keyblade in the other to fend of Ventus. Skuld attacks Lauriam from the side in Aquas place and the pink haired male leaps out of range of both Keyblade warriors with a smirk. Brain, in Terras place, recovers himself and runs to stand with the other Union leaders. Ephemer is noticeably absent. The scene returns to Sora, Riku and Kairi who glare at the Organization member as they begin to remove their hood.

Yen Sid stands at his window, frowning as he stares out into the starry sky beyond. Flashes of various worlds begin to appear including Radiant Garden, Castle Oblivion, Daybreak Town, Agrabah, Destiny Islands, Disney Castle, Olympus, The World that Never Was and the Keyblade Graveyard. There are also five other worlds he doesn't recognize. His frown still present, he turns back to his desk and waves his hand. Magic swirls on the desk and reveals the Book of Prophecies. He looks down at it with a grave expression before Maleficent and Master Xehanort suddenly appear in his tower. Summoning the Star Seeker Keyblade, Yen Sid prepares to do battle with the two villains before the book suddenly opens and they are all sucked in.

The scene changes to the Keyblade Graveyard where the Lights and Darknesses face one another down. On the side of the Light stand Sora, Riku, Kairi, Mickey, Lea and two others. On the side of Darkness stand Master Xehanort, Xemnas, Ansem, Braig, Isa, Vanitas, a possessed Terra, the Riku Replica, Young Xehanort and four others with their hoods up. Both sides summon their Keyblades and charge at one another when suddenly Maleficent and Hades appear in the center of the battlefield holding the Book of Prophecies. Maleficent smiles darkly and opens the book which unleashes multiple Heartless, including several Darksides. The Lights and Darknesses tear through the Heartless, everybody fighting to reach Maleficent and the book. In the chaos, eventually some of the Lights begin to battle the Darknesses. Sora engages Xemnas. Riku attacks Ansem. Kairi finds herself up against Young Xehanort and Braig. Lea struggles against Isa. Mickey combats Terra.

The scene begins to rapidly change. The five Foretellers engaging in combat versus one another in Daybreak Town as Luxu looks on. The five new Union Leaders arguing over Master Ava's plan for the Dandelions. Ventus, Terra and Aqua struggling to combat overwhelming odds against Vanitas and Master Xehanort in the Keyblade Graveyard. Sora locks Keyblades with the possessed Riku in Hollow Bastion. Xemnas seemingly effortlessly fends off the attacks of Riku and Sora in the World that Never Was. Riku attacking Young Xehanort in the Realm of Sleep as Master Xehanort reaches for Sora. Finally the scene returns to the present battle between the Lights and Darknesses in the Keyblade Graveyard. All but one combatant shrouded in shadow lies motionless on the ground as Kingdom Heart shines down on the disfigured battlefield. The victor holds the Book of Prophecies in one hand and the X-Blade in the other and kicks open the Master of Masters box. As they do, the light from Kingdom Hearts slowly changes to crimson.

* * *

The Master of Masters sighed as he looked down at the page he had just finished writing in the Book of Prophecies, a saddened expression appearing on his concealed face as he reviewed his wording of the events to come. It was the last page in the book, the ending result of the conflict with the one known as Master Xehanort. He let his hands drop into his lap and clenched them into fists as his sadness turned to anger. Then, just like that, it was gone and he relaxed with a sigh as he closed the book. Behind him he heard footsteps and waited for them to speak.

"Master?" It was Luxu, the sixth of five of his students.

"Hey Luxu!" The Master sprang out of his chair and spun around to face the boy, which clearly threw Luxu off. "What brings you to my humble abode? I hope there's nothing wrong, 'cause my schedule is too full at the moment for saving the day."

"There's nothing wrong." Luxu replied, taking a moment to consider his next words. "It's just that, you've been down here for quite a long time and the others are concerned about you."

"The others?" The Master asked, letting out a gasp. "Are you telling me that you don't care about my well being as well!?"

"N-no of course not!" Luxu replied, raising his hands in a calming gesture.

"Well, that's good then. Can't have one of my cherished apprentices hating me and falling to the Darkness." The Master chuckled before speaking again. "So I take a few days off and everyone's worried, is that it?"

"Master... it's been two months." Luxu replied cautiously.

"Two months!?" The Master exclaimed, raising a hand to his forehead dramatically and falling down into his chair. "Time really does fly when you're having fun."

"If I may, what have you been doing?" Luxu inquired, looking past the Master to the desk where the book sat curiously.

"Working on this." The Master replied, picking up the book and flipping it open to a random page. "I call it, the Book of Prophecies."

"The Book of Prophecies..." Luxu repeated, taking his time to say each word. "What is it for?"

"To tell prophecies..." The Master deadpanned, gesturing to a coat much like his own hanging from a coat hanger. "I'm glad you came actually, I had that made for you."

"For me?" Luxu asked, moving to where the coat was hung.

"Yup. Everybody else got adorable masks after all, so I figured you deserved something just as special." The Master nodded. "Try it on."

Luxu hesitated for only a moment, looking at the Master for confirmation and the hooded male nodded again. The Master watched as Luxu gently took the coat off of the rack and put it on. The care the boy took in dressing himself in the garment brought a smile to the Masters concealed face. As Luxu finished zipping up the cloak, he looked to the Master who gestured for him to pull the hood up. Once he did, the Master nodded again and looked back to his book.

"Perfect fit!" The Master stated, stopping on one particular page and swallowing heavily as a sense of sadness washed over him once more.

"Thank you Master. But why do I get this coat and the others don't?" Luxu asked, breaking the Master from his thoughts.

"Well, its because everybody has very special roles to play, even me! Ira and the others will work in the light of day and lead the world to where it needs to go. Meanwhile, you'll take over for me and oversee events from the shadows. Seven people working in tandem for the good of the World." Raising his hand with a finger extended, the Master continued. "So that makes you the in-disposable number seven!"

"Huh..." Luxu replied softly.

"C'mon it's simple. You six plus me equals seven." The Master stated, turning the page in the book before gasping once more. "Wait, don't tell me I don't count!?"

"No! Uh, um..." Luxu began to grasp for words as the Master stood up.

The Master could tell Luxu expected some kind of scolding as he stepped towards him and felt bad that the boy showed even such a base level of fear towards him. Stopping in his tracks, the Master raised his hand and summoned a Keyblade in a flash of Darkness before continuing towards the boy who tensed up. Halting about an arms length from the boy, the Master held out the Keyblade towards him.

"Here take it." The Master stated.

Luxu hesitated before slowly taking the Keyblade in both hands and looking down at it with a reverence that once more brought a smile to the Masters concealed face. He allowed himself to watch the boy for a moment or two more, clasping his hands behind his back and nodding before moving back to his chair and sitting down, one arm resting on the desk.

"It's a work of art right?" The Master questioned with pride.

"It really is." Luxu said, crossing the room to stand in front of him before examining the weapon further. "The Gazing Eye?"

"That's not what it's called." The Master stated, dismissively waving his hand.

"Oh?" Luxu let the Keyblade fall to his side, his eyes wide with curiosity. "What then?"

"Hm." The Master looked down thoughtfully. "Actually no name..."

"No Name." Luxu repeated, christening the weapon as such.

"Well, 'gazing' or not, that weapon does have an eye in it. My eye to be exact." The Master raised a hand to his chest as he spoke, taking pride in each word despite the fact all he felt inside was empathy for what the mere act of giving the Keyblade to Luxu had done to those to come.

"Ew!" Luxu exclaimed, looking ready to drop the Keyblade.

"Oh, so you think that's gross do ya!?" The Master exclaimed in return.

"N-no." Luxu replied, looking down in defeat.

"Yeah sure..." The Master stated, letting both hands drop into his lap. " Anyway, about your role. You need to pass down that Keyblade to your apprentice, and then him to his, so my eye can see the future."

"So the Book of Prophecies..." Luxu muttered thoughtfully, before recognition flashed in his eyes and he stepped towards the book.

"BINGO!" The Master stated, raising his hand to point at the boy and stop him in his tracks. "The fact it exists is proof of your success! That means you've trained a worthy apprentice, passed down that handsome Keyblade and fulfilled your role! Congratulations!" The Master began to applaud the boy, earning a confused frown from Luxu. "Whats the matter? Come on, you did a fantastic job! At least smile a little."

"But I haven't done anything yet..." Luxu pointed out.

"Good point. Guess you'd better get started then. Unfortunately you'll have to go alone from here on out. No Book of Prophecies to keep you company either. Can't have you causing any temporal paradoxes." The Master closed the book, not missing the look of disappointment from his apprentice. "But hey, we both know you'll do just fine without it right?"

"Do I really have to go alone? What about the others?" Luxu questioned with concern.

"Minor details, so don't sweat it." The Master stood up and moved to a black box which he began to drag out from behind his desk, continuing to speak as he did so. "For now, you, that Keyblade and this box need to stay out of sight. Just watch with your own eyes, and my eye, as things unfold between the others. Then when the time is right, go off and do your thing."

"Whats in it?" Luxu asked, staring down at the box.

"It's a secret." The Master replied seriously as he folded his arms over his chest. "And well, ya see the thing is... you can never, EVER open it."

"Great, now I really wanna know!" Luxu said eagerly.

"Ah all right, I'll indulge you. But this secret stays between the two of us and you have to promise to never open the box." The Master responded sternly, making eye contact with his apprentice.

"I promise." Luxu nodded, stepping closer to the Master and smiling eagerly as the older male leaned down to his ear.

"The box contains something that can be used to gain access to Kingdom Hearts. Because of that it can never be opened. If anybody ever tried to use Kingdom Heart's power as their own, the World's would face a threat like never before." The Master whispered. "Of course, you're going to ensure that the box eventually gets to somebody who will in fact, open it."

"But why!?" Luxu exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock at the revelation.

"You'll see." The Master stated ominously, raising his hand to summon a door to the Darkness behind Luxu. The boy looked to it curiously, before looking back to the Master. "Go on. Once you get to the destination, summon No Name and focus your Heart's power. You'll learn some cool things."

The boy hesitated before rushing forward suddenly and embracing the man. The Master was startled by this, but slowly wrapped one arm around the boy and rested his other hand on the boys head. It was a fleeting moment, but in it the Master felt a wave of emotions threaten to overwhelm him and cleared his throat. Reluctantly, Luxu released him and dragged the box into the door to the Darkness and then the Master was alone once more. Letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding, the Master gasped for air and stumbled over to his desk, pushing back his hood. He struggled to regain his composure and looked down at the cover of the Book of Prophecies, as tears began to well in his two amber eyes.

* * *

 **KINGDOM HEARTS**

 **THE THIRD CHAPTER**


	8. Reunions

Authors Note:

Heres the first part of our characters first 'non-tutorial' worlds! Enjoy this chapter and remember, reviews are always appreciated! :D Sorry for how long this took by the way! I've been working on other projects, as well as life and University and all that.

Does anybody else get super emotional listening to Chikai? And re watching the trailers, especially that new one!? I keep watching the 2.8 opening and tearing up because of how tragic it all seems now. They deserved better. T_T Also, the cover art was released! 3

ALSO, I have a theory for the actual canon Kingdom Hearts storyline but I cant say what it is but it pertains to my story too! I'll just say this. Realm of Sleep.

* * *

Sora groaned as he came to, blinking several times as the cloud covered sky above him slowly came into view. Forcing himself to sit up despite a considerable headache, he grimaced as his entire body protested and was reminded of the injuries he'd suffered on Olympus thanks to giving into what he now knew as the Darkness within his Heart. His eyes went wide as he realized he was surrounded by a literal sea of Keyblades, each one unique and jammed into the dry ground. He seemed to be in some kind of canyon, surrounded by high and jagged cliffs and hills. It was also quite cold.

Rising to his feet despite the searing pain across his body, Sora stepped towards the nearest Keyblade and picked it up. It was startlingly cold, much unlike the Keyblades he wielded which always felt arm in his grasp. Frowning, he wondered why that was.

"These Keys are all dead." Sora dropped the Keyblade in his surprise as he heard an unknown voice and spun to see a bald old man standing there all of a sudden. The friendly smile on the mans face made his nerve settle a little, however his glowing amber eyes ensured that Sora's guard remained completely up. "Any spark of Light that once sustained them was snuffed out alongside their wielders many years ago, during the Keyblade War."

"Keyblade War...?" Sora muttered, studying his elder who had his hands clasped behind his back. "Who are you? Where are my friends?"

"Your companions are nearby." The man's smile faltered for a moment before he spoke once more. "As for who I am, let's just say that I am somebody who wishes to help you."

"Help me?" Sora raised an eyebrow. He had a feeling he shouldn't trust the man, but shook it off. "Help me with what?"

"Your injuries for one thing." The man brought forth one of his hands, which was encased in a white glove. A faint green glow appeared in his palm and formed into a ball which darted towards Sora. It hit Sora in the chest and a wave of magic burst out around the young Keyblade wielder who let out a sigh of obvious relief. His smile deepening, the man clasped his hands behind his back once more. "I had a suspicion that your injuries were unintentionally self inflicted."

"How did you do that?" Still feeling the rush of ecstasy that came from a healing spell, Soras eyes were slightly unfocused as he spoke. However, he couldn't believe that his injuries were gone so easily.

"I have some experience with young people who recklessly give in to the Darkness within their Hearts. Its not something normal magic can heal." The man replied smoothly, his eyes narrowing somewhat in clear amusement. "You appear to be uneasy my boy. Is something the matter?"

"I just..." Sora considered his words. "I'm worried about my friends."

"They should be here any moment." The man purred calmingly, moving forward suddenly until he was standing only an arms length from Sora. Even though he stood in a hunched manner, the elder still towered over the teenager. "Tell me something. Why give into your inner Darkness? Did failing your Mark of Mastery exam anger you?"

"Of course not! It's just tha-" Sora stopped mid sentence, narrowing his eyes suspiciously and stepping back. "Wait, how do you know about me failing my exam?"

The elderly male chuckled and summoned a Keyblade, swinging so fast that Sora only barely managed to leap back in time. Summoning Oblivion, Sora clashed with the old man who easily pressed back against Soras two handed grip with only one hand, the other balled into a fist behind his back. Gritting his teeth, Sora pushed harder and fell forwards suddenly as the old man disappeared. Instead of keeping his balance, Sora used the momentum to roll forward as his instincts screamed at him and felt the old mans Keyblade slicing through the air where his head had just been. Coming back up to his feet, Sora spun to face his mystery opponent but found that he was gone again. A chill ran down his spine as he felt a presence appear behind him.

"Hmm..." The old man hummed disapprovingly as he dismissed his Keyblade while Sora turned towards him, a frown appearing on the elders wrinkled face. "No formal training obviously, but you have keen battle instincts and quick reflexes. I also sense a strange presence coming from that Keyblade of yours. But none of this explains how you defeated my remnants."

"Who are you!?" Sora demanded, staying comfortably in his battle ready position and glaring at the male.

"I would think that should be obvious to you by now." The elderly male smirked. "My name is Xehanort, Master of the Keyblade."

"X-Xehanort?" Sora swallowed heavily, his eyes widening slightly as he reevaluated his sworn enemy.

"Down!" Ignis' voice came from behind Sora.

Sora dropped to the ground and looked up as Ignis sailed overhead and swung his Keyblade at the air where Master Xehanort had just been standing. Then suddenly the dark Keyblade Master was back and the two of them clashed weapons violently. Bringing himself back to his feet, Sora smiled at Donald and Goofy as they arrived on either side of him with their weapons drawn. Ignis broke off from the deadlock and swung wildly at Master Xehanorts right which was blocked, then at his left which was parried. Changing tactics, Ignis suddenly flipped over Master Xehanort and jabbed at his exposed back but found nothing once more as the old man disappeared from sight.

"Intriguing..." Master Xehanorts voice came from behind Sora, forcing him to turn around yet again. "You haven't aged a single day since the last time I laid eyes upon you, Ignis."

"That's Master Ignis, Xehanort." Ignis spat, stepping in front of Sora protectively and activating his Keyblade armor.

"If you are going to demand I use your title child, then you should consider employing my own." The elderly male snapped, showing irritation for the first time in the conversation. "Enlighten me as to how you've managed to retain your youth."

Instead of replying, Ignis lunged towards Master Xehanort but before he could swing his weapon, he was knocked to the side by another person wearing both a mask and an Organization XIII coat. The masked man summoned a Keyblade and pursued Ignis, the two of them exchanging fierce blows that sent out shockwaves around them. Master Xehanort appeared entirely pleased with himself before a look of utter disdain appeared on his face and he looked at something behind Sora and co.

"Vanitas! We're leaving!" The Dark Keyblade Master spared one final glance at Sora before stepping backwards into a door to the Darkness.

Vanitas managed to knock Ignis to the side and dove through the portal. With a growl of frustration, Ignis leaped after him but it was too late as the door closed. Ignis turned to Sora, his helment disappearing and he opened his mouth to say something but instead his mouth hung open in shock. Sora turned to look at what caused this expression and took in the form of a figure wearing Keyblade armor, a large Keyblade grasped in his right hand and a long cloak flowing in the wind. Sora frowned at the armored figure, who watched them silently before a voice seemingly sailed towards them on a gust of wind.

 **You do not belong here.**

* * *

"The Book of Prophecies!?" Mickey exclaimed, drawing everybodies attention as he slowly picked himself up off of the floor. "How do you have it?"

"To be clear, this is only a copy. However, it is quite complete." Lauriam stated, letting the book disappear as he frowned at the replica. "Judging from your vacant expression, you obviously have no idea what it is."

"What is it?" Riku questioned, eyeing his replica who was glaring holes into the floor.

"It is a book authored by the very first Keyblade Master known as the Master of all Masters." Lauriam explained. "Long ago, the worlds were once a single construct instead of the fractured mess you have come to know. During this time, this Master of all Masters became the first guardian of Kingdom Hearts and the Light it radiated. I suppose you could even say that this Master of all Masters created the concept of the Keyblade itself, as well as the Keyblade Unions that would eventually come to guard the worlds."

"I don't need a history lesson right now." Riku growled. "What does this Book have to do with anything?"

"Temper temper." Lauriam let out a short chuckle before speaking once more. "The Master of all Masters had the ability to gaze into the future. With this ability, he wrote the Book of Prophecies so that the leaders of his Keyblade Unions would know of future events and ensure that every action they took would see that the future played out as intended."

"How do you know that Book isn't a forgery?" Riku raised an eyebrow.

"I know." Lauriam replied coolly.

"You just said it was written a long time ago, by a man you can't even prove actually existed." Riku pressed earning a chuckle from his Replica.

"He's right." The replica added, raising his head to look at Lauriam with a smirk.

"From what Master Yen Sid used to tell me, the Book of Prophecies was just a legend." Mickey chimed in.

"To be perfectly honest, anybody could have written that boo-" Riku grunted as Lauriam knocked him on his but with a blast of his magic.

"Your ignorance is astounding." Lauriam stated, letting his free hand drop to his side. "Now shut up and listen to me. I have been in possession of this book for quite some time, since before I was originally killed and my Heart and body split. It has accurately depicted every event that has happened in recent years. The fall of Terra. Soras defeat of Xehanorts Heartless. My nobodies destruction in this very castle. Xemnas' fall and Master Xehanorts return. Riku becoming a Keyblade Master. Everything. However, as the Book comes into our current time, the passages become more and more vague."

"Give it to me..." The Replica interrupted, his eyes starting to glow. The next time he spoke, his voice had changed. It was like two people were talking at once. "GIVE ME THAT BOOK!"

An explosion of Darkness blasted out from the Replica, sending Riku and Mickey flying backwards. Rolling up to his feet, Riku watched as Lauriam took several steps back and eyed the Replica who had summoned a Keyblade that wasn't his own. Riku frowned, wondering why his weapon had changed so drastically but judging from Lauriams expression, the pink haired male recognized it. As the vines crumbled around him, the Replica dashed towards Lauriam and swung his Keyblade. Rikus eyes widened as Lauriam summoned a Keyblade of his own and batted the Replica away.

"I don't think so." Lauriam stated, clearly unaffected by the power radiating off of the Replica all of a sudden.

"WHAT!?" Even the Replica was surprised by this and took several steps back. Letting out a growl, he summoned a door to the Darkness and dove through.

* * *

"Who are you!?" Ignis was the first to respond to the disembodied voice, the Keyblade master stepping protectively in front of Sora, Donald and Goofy. When the armored figure didn't respond, Ignis growled impatiently. "That armor means you're a member of the Keyblade Union right?"

 **I sense Xehanort. And also, something else. Someone familiar...**

The voice flowed once more on a shivering breeze that washed over the four warriors. Slowly, the armored figure took a step towards them. Then another. As the figure broke into a jog towards them, taking the large keyblade in both hands, Sora and the others took a battle ready position. Unlike Xehanort, the armored figure didn't use teleportation to disorient them and instead stuck to it's straight line, reaching Ignis and clashing blades with the red head. To the surprise of everybody, the blow actually forced Ignis to slide back several feet and the Keyblade master summoned his helmet to cover his head once more.

"Not bad." Ignis disengaged swiftly, sliding to the side and swinging his weapon towards the figures left shoulder.

He hit his intended target but it didn't seem to phase his opponent who responded by shoulder barging him and sending him falling to the ground, before bringing down the large keyblade towards the now prone Ignis. Sora moved quickly, blocking the strike but grunting under the strength behind the figures slow, methodical blow. Ignis was back on his feet, right back on the attack with another swing at the armored figures head. Again the blow struck its target, but the figure merely absorbed it, swinging its weapon in a swift upwards arc that caught Ignis on the leg. The Keyblade Master let out a howl of pain and fell to the ground once more, rolling up to his feet and growling again.

"That hurt." Ignis winced, now positioned behind the Armored figure who had taken up a casual, defenseless stance between the two other Keyblade Warriors as it appeared to stare at Sora.

 **Ven...? What did you do to him!?**

A wave of power suddenly flowed out of the armored figure and it moved swiftly, spinning around to attempt a strike at Ignis. Barely bringing up his weapon in time to block the attack, Ignis was sent flying backwards from the force. As he was, the armored figure continued it's motion and brought its Keyblade down on Oblivion, Sora gritting his teeth with clear effort as he defended against the attack. He too was knocked back, but he wasn't left alone as the armored figure leaped into the air and slammed its knee hard into Soras back, eliciting a choked cry of pain from the teen. The force of the blow was enough for Sora to release his control of the Keyblade and Oblivion disappeared. Before the armored figure could continue, it absorbed a full power Thundaga from Donald, stopping its movements and letting itself fall back to the ground onto its feet. Goofy caught Sora in his arms and looked down with concern at the boy whose face was contorted in pain.

"Get on that ship!" Ignis ordered, dashing towards them engulfed in flames.

As Goofy and Donald complied, summoning the Gummi Ship to their location, Ignis engaged in a fierce duel with the armored figure. Despite his best efforts however, he couldn't seem to gain the upper hand, as all his attacks were absorbed with little apparent affect on his opponent. He did manage to occupy the enemy however, long enough for the other three to get on the ship.

"GO!" Ignis demanded, swinging his weapon with all his strength at the armored figure who barely flinched at the attempt.

Reluctantly, the trio complied and the Gummi Ship took off. As soon as it was far enough away, Ignis leaped back from his engagement and threw his Keyblade up into the air, summoning a transport similar to some sort of hover bike. Jumping up onto it, he sped after the Gummi ship without looking behind him. However, he was shocked when he heard the familiar sound of another Keyblade Glider and spared a glance back to see the armored figure racing after him. But then suddenly, the armored figures glider disappeared and it began to fall back down towards the hard ground. Not wanting to waste the opportunity to escape, Ignis sped after the Gummi Ship as it roared into the upper atmosphere of the world.

* * *

"Wake up! Kairi, wake up!"

Kairi opened her eyes slowly, one of her hands going immediately to her aching head. She blinked several times, her vision going from completely blurred to slightly blurry. She felt like she'd just been put in a blender, which was pretty close to the actual situation as she recalled it. Lea was kneeling beside her, concern written all over his face.

"Where is everybody?" Kairi mumbled, rubbing her forehead.

"Aerith has Tifa, Leon and Yuffie resting at an inn down in the square." Lea informed her, helping Kairi to sit up. "Cloud went off somewhere, and Merlin and Aeleus headed to the lab to meet up with Ienzo. Nobodies seen Sephiroth."

"So every-bodies okay?" Kairi asked, smiling as Lea nodded. "Thank goodness."

"It's not the end of our problems though." Lea observed with a darkened tone. "Xehanort knows we're here and that younger version of him was definitely after you. I thought we'd be safe here, at least until we'd trained for a bit."

"I don't think we're safe anywhere." Kairi frowned, moving to stand up with Lea's assistance. "I'm fine Lea. Just a little light headed."

"We should head to the lab." Lea ordered.

Kairi nodded and the two began to head towards the door that would lead them in that direction. However, they both stopped in their tracks as a brilliant white portal suddenly appeared in the center of the throne room. Kairi reflexively summoned her Keyblade in the hand that wasn't clutching her head and Lea instinctively stepped in front of her, summoning his own Keyblade. They were both surprise at who emerged from the portal. Five of the other six Princesses of Heart gradually stepped through, with the notable exception of Alice. They were flanked by Prince Florian, Genie, Prince Adam, Prince Charming and Prince Phillip.

"Kairi!" Jasmine was the first to notice them and rushed over as the portal closed, with the rest of the party close behind.

"Jasmine!" Kairi exclaimed in reply, stepping up beside Lea. "What are you all doing here?"

"Yen Sid collected us and sent us here." Jasmine explained.

"Something terrible has happened." Snow White stated, her expression showing a great deal of sadness.

"What is it?" Kairi asked, her tone betraying how worried she felt from the looks on every-bodies faces.

"Alice is gone. So is Wonderland." Snow White bit her lip, tears forming in her eyes.

"Gone!?" Lea's eyes were wide. "How?"

"We're not sure, but we can't focus on that right now." Belle stepped to the front of the group, wearing a mask of bravery. "Yen Sid sent us here for a reason. Where is Merlin?"

* * *

As the Gummi Ship zoomed through the open space and away from the Gummi Ship, Sora winced while Donald cast Curaga on him. The spell was easily the best way to fix somebodies wounds suffered in battle, but the downside was that the person it was cast on had to feel their body realigning and stitching itself back together. His mind went back to Master Xehanort and how the spell the older male had cast on him didn't cause those effects. It was painless and quick. It made Sora wonder if Xehanort had access to some unknown elevation to the Curaga spell or if the dark Keyblade Master was just THAT powerful. Either way, it wasn't good for them.

"That should fix ya up." Goofy remarked from the pilots chair.

"That was a close one." Donald added, looking Sora over before nodding. "The Curaga should be finished in a couple of minutes."

"Thanks." Sora replied quietly. This wasn't the first time that day that he'd had to be stitched up or defended by somebody else and it was wearing on him. He didn't like the feeling of helplessness.

"What was that thing anyway?" Donald wondered, moving to sit in his own seat. "It had a Keyblade and didn't seem to feel any pain."

"And it sure was powerful." Goofy added, earning a nod from the duck.

"It's power kinda felt like Xemnas." Sora muttered, shaking his head. That couldn't be possible, could it?

"Xemnas never used a Keyblade. And he definitely didn't fight like that." Donald dismissed the idea.

Everybodies eyes went to the airlock of the Gummi ship where there was a knock. Goofy pressed a button to bring up a screen with the cameras and everybody gasped as an armored figure on the other side of the door knocked again. After another look, they realized it was Ignis and breathed a collective sigh of relief. Closing the outer door of the airlock with another button, Goofy then opened the inner door and Ignis stepped in, the Keyblade Master letting his armor disappear. He glared at them before he groaned and fell heavily to one knee.

"Damn it." Ignis grumbled, his voice sounding weak. "I've really been pushing it too far today."

"I've got you." Donald stated, summoning his staff and pointing it at Ignis. "Curaga!"

"..." Ignis breathed silently for a few moments as the spell was absorbed into him before he slowly stood up and offered a small smile. "Thanks." The red head looked around the interior of the Gummi Ship and his smile turned into a frown of curiosity. "What is this thing?"

"A Gummi Ship." Goofy replied. "It lets us travel to other worlds using the lanes between worlds."

"Interesting. They definitely didn't have these where I came from." Ignis stated thoughtfully, struggling over to a fourth chair. "Where are we going?"

"According to the computer, it's unknown." Goofy replied. "There are no worlds nearby that are in the system."

"Makes sense. The Keyblade Graveyard marks the center of the Overworld." Ignis explained, stroking his chin. " Now that I think about it, the Land of Arrival should be nearby."

"Land of Arrival?" Sora, Donald and Goofy all asked in unison.

"It's one of the original worlds. The Keyblade Academy is located there and the world itself acts as a bridge between the Realm of Light and the Realm of Darkness." Ignis chuckled. "My mentor used to say that it was pretty much the Keyblade Graveyard on a good day."

"Can you direct us there?" Sora asked. He wanted to visit this place, mostly because of the idea that a Keyblade Academy could exist. Though it was weird Master Yen Sid hadn't mentioned it.

"I uh... I don't think I can." Ignis shrugged at the disappointed expressions from the others. "I think Ive been in the Realm of Darkness for a long time guys. The worlds have changed while I've been gone."

"Speaking of which, what were you doing in the Realm of Darkness in the first place?" Donald questioned, an undertone of suspicion in his words.

"I was trapped on a world that was dragged into the Realm of Darkness." Ignis replied, his eyes narrowing slightly. Sora couldn't tell if it was from irritation or anger. " Now that I've seen him for myself, I can tell that Xehanort has aged a lot. If I had to guess, I'd say that I was stuck there for at least twenty years. Maybe thirty."

"What!?" The trio exclaimed in unison once more.

"How did you survive?" Sora asked.

"I am a Keyblade Master. I was trained to survive." Was the reply from Ignis.

"Why haven't you aged?" Goofy was the next to ask a question.

"Time flows differently there. And you can't tell." Ignis visibly shivered. "Honestly, it feels like I was there for way longer than a couple of decades"

"Why aren't you corrupted?" Another hard hitting question from Donald Duck.

"I had my Keyblade Armor. Since it's made from the same stuff as Keyblades, it is directly infused with Light. As long as my Heart remains strong enough, it can fight off the effects of darkness." He paused before continuing. "But I wont' lie to you guys. I was close to succumbing before that old man found me. That place changes you." Another pause. "It changed me."

"What do you mean?" Sora pressed. He didn't want to pry, but he also wanted to know.

"I..." Ignis reached for words before letting out an exasperated sigh and shook his head. "I can feel the Darkness in my Heart now. Its fighting for control of me." He looked pointedly at Sora with a knowing look. "It wants to devour my Heart, but luckily for me, I was trained in how to resist it."

"Oh." Sora frowned, before offering a hopeful smile. "My friend Riku managed to beat the Darkness and he's a Keyblade Master now. I'm sure you can too!"

"I guess we'll see." Ignis looked away, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Hey guys?" Goofy interrupted, drawing all eyes to him. "We're approachin' a world."

Everybody looked out the viewport at the fast approaching world. It appeared to be a fairly normal world, but then, they all did from space. Goofy pressed a few buttons and half of the viewport became a screen that presented information about this world. It was apparently called New York based on multiple signs on the world, had a rating of four stars, a Darkness rating of three stars and had several notable locations including a large tower with a massive A on the side of it.

"Three star Darkness rating huh?" Sora read before looking to the others. "Lets check it out."

* * *

"You have a Keyblade!?" Riku and Mickey exclaimed in unison.

Lauriam shot them a smirk and let his pink Keyblade disappear in a wave of flower petals, his gaze going to the cover of the Book of Prophecies. Making a dismissive sound, Lauriam also transported the book somewhere else in a flurry of flower petals before he began to head towards a door at the end of the room.

"This will lead us to where we need to go." Lauriam stated cryptically.

"Answer our question." Riku growled, the two Keyblade Masters following after the mysterious male.

"I have always had a Keyblade. Just because my nobody didn't use it, somehow it's a surprise that I have one?" Lauriam chuckled sardonically. "Not that either of you would know anything about Marluxia."

"Ya mentioned that you were the master of this Castle." Mickey recalled.

"Indeed." Lauriam waved his hand as they reached the door and it opened to allow them to pass through. It led into a long, white hallway. "Xemnas put me here to keep me out of the way. The fool didn't realize that this is exactly where I wanted to be."

"That boy you mentioned." Mickey spoke again, the seriousness in his voice causing Riku to glance at his friend. "Who is he?"

"Heh, I see you've caught on little King." Lauriam ran a hand through his hair as he continued to stroll down the hallway. "The one who slumbers here is a Keyblade Master known by the name of Ventus."

"Keyblade Master? You're wrong. Ven was just an apprentice." Mickey shook his head.

"No, you are wrong." Lauriam put emphasis on the word you and glanced over his shoulder at Mickey. "You don't think that Xehanort was interested in just any random boy do you?"

"I..." Mickey hesitated before his jaw hardened. "Xehanort chose Ven because his heart was split down the middle with Light and Darkness. He wanted to use it to create the X-blade."

"You have yet to ask why Ventus' Heart was so evenly distributed between the Light and Darkness." Lauriam stated.

"Alright why?" Riku cut in impatiently.

"Long ago, when time was still new, there lived a certain man called the Master of all Masters. He wrote the Book of Prophecies. I suppose you could say that he 'invented' the Keyblade." Lauriam scoffed. "What he really discovered was how to weaponize the strength of ones Heart. Like you Keyblade warriors of today, the Master trained fix of his six apprentices to wield the Light to oppose the Darkness. The five he trained to wield the Light went on to train many others and would go on to become known as the Foretellers. These Foretellers created Unions of the Keyblade, gathering the Light of the world known as Lux in preparation for a cataclysmic event foretold in the Master of all Masters Book of Prophecies." Lauriams voice had taken on an almost nostalgic tone, as if he was reciting memories instead of just a story. "One of these Foretellers was known as Ava. As relations broke down between the Foretellers and war reached the horizon, Ava chose to hide away her Union of Keyblade wielders in the Realm of Sleep, under the leadership of five Union Leaders who would divide up those Keyblade Warriors in the Realm of Sleep and train them in mastering both Light and Darkness in hopes they could emerge from the Realm of Sleep after the Keyblade War and restore balance to the worlds after the conflict. She called these people her Dandelions."

"Does this story have a point?" Riku interrupted, growing more and more impatient with every step. He didn't understand what any of this had to do with Ventus, though a glance at Mickey told him that the King was intrigued by everything Lauriam was saying.

"You'll see." Lauriam responded calmly before continuing. "With their bodies safely hidden in the Land of Arrival, the Dandelions spirits were taken to the Realm of Sleep where they trained to one day return to the Realm of Waking and save the worlds. Among them, only the Five Union Leaders knew the truth due to the fact that each possessed a complete copy of the Book of Prophecies which detailed this occurrence. That the Dandelions were locked in an endless loop, destined to relive the events leading up to, and during, the Keyblade War until they successfully managed to prevent it." Riku noticed that Lauriam had clenched his hands into fists. "One of the Union Leaders named Ephemer chose to alter this path after several cycles and informed one of the Dandelions of the truth, assisting them in leaving the Realm of Sleep and returning to the real world with an unknown mission. Ephemer disappeared shortly afterwards."

"What happened after that?" Mickey prodded after Lauriam fell silent for several moments.

"Ephemers idiocy resulted in the Darkness of the Realm of Waking being able to slip into the Realm of Sleep and corrupt the Dandelions over the next few cycles. Realizing that the plan had to change, one of the four remaining Union Leaders suggested taking the Book of Prophecies to the outside world and hunt down the Master of all Masters sixth student named Luxu who had been tasked to survive the Keyblade War and bear witness to the reconstruction of the worlds afterwards." Lauriam let out a short, low growl. "The other three Union Leaders did not agree with him. Ventus was one of those three."

"What!?" Mickey exclaimed. "I-I don't believe you."

"I do not require your belief little King." Lauriam spat. "The lone Union Leader destroyed all but his copy of the Book of Prophecies before attempting to escape into the Realm of Waking, but he was confronted by the three others. A savage battle between the four caused some sort of imbalance in the system and the Dandelions themselves began to disappear from the Realm of Sleep. Eventually, the four remaining Union Leaders also disappeared from the Realm of Sleep. Of those, two of them found themselves back in the Realm of Waking. One in the Realm of Light, the other in the Realm of Darkness. Xehanort found Ventus somewhere in the Realm of Light and preyed on his vulnerable, amnesiac state. He couldn't believe that one could possess such even percentages of Light and Darkness within themselves and mistakenly took it as a sign that the X-Blade could be forged from him." Another scoff. "Imbecile."

"So you're trying to tell us that this Ventus person is actually some kind of legendary Keyblade Master who was tasked with saving the worlds by one of the original Keyblade wielders?" Riku said slowly, shaking his head at how absurd it all sounded.

"I'm not 'trying' to do anything." Lauriam snapped. "The two of you need to understand how important this is. With the Dandelions missing, the only way to save the worlds lies in the hands of the two Union Leaders that we know survived. According to the Book of Prophecies, Darkness will prevail and bring about the end of everything. With the Union Leaders reunited, we may be able to change that.

"So if Ventus is supposedly one of them, where is the other one?" Riku inquired. "The one trapped in the Realm of Darkness?"

They reached the end of the hallway to find another door. Riku scowled as Lauriam didn't answer his question and watched as the pink haired male placed his hand on the door. It lit up vibrantly before disappearing completely. Behind the door was a chamber, where two figures were engaged in a fierce battle, one of them wielding a Keyblade. Mickey dashed past Lauriam and Riku with a shocked expression.

"Aqua!"

* * *

Master Xehanort returned to the Castle that Never Was, stepping out of the Door to the Darkness on the platform that stood high above every other structure in the world, at the very height of the castle. He raised an eyebrow as he found one of his Organization members waiting for him, a slight smirk appearing on his aged face as he dismissed Vanitas with a wave of his hand, sending the shell of his one time apprentice to follow after Sora. Once the embodiment of Darkness was gone, the other member spoke.

"Did you get what you wanted out of that meeting?" Her voice was clipped as usual, no mincing of words or breath wasted on formalities.

"The boy is truly an anomaly. His fighting technique is mediocre at best and with his powers drained almost entirely, he is not much of an adversary." Master Xehanort paused for a moment. "I am intrigued however."

"Why?" Another clipped reply.

"I sensed the presence of others within him during our short meeting. Including Ventus." His mention of the Keyblade warrior got the desired reaction from the woman whose eyes widened in shock. "Did your book of Prophecies not account for this?"

"Ventus was never meant to survive his encounter with you." The female shook her head with obvious irritation. "The cryptic way that the Master of all Masters wrote things leaves it far too open for interpretation. Though, we could use this to our advantage."

"How so?" Xehanort frowned.

"We can separate these 'presences' you felt within Sora from the boy. When he is left with only his own meager power, he will see how inadequate he is and that could drive him to despair." The female narrowed her eyes slightly. "If only the Book offered more guidance."

"You rely too much on that Book." Xehanort shook his head. "At first you were insistent on Riku being integral to our plans. Now you are focused entirely on Sora. To what end?"

"It has to be one of those three that becomes the thirteenth." The female replied simply, turning away to look over the city below with a heavy sigh. "The Book tells us that much at least."

"We have another problem." Xehanort stated, moving to stand beside the female with his gaze sweeping over the buildings far below. "A Keyblade Master from the past has resurfaced."

"You mean Ignis?" Xehanort tried to hide is surprise, but clearly failed as the female chuckled before continuing. "His involvement has been foretold in the Book. If things work out as I have interpreted them, we may find him to be quite useful."

"He is powerful. Far more powerful than the last time I faced him." Xehanort's frown deepened.

"His power is exactly what will be the cause of his eventual downfall." The female answered, her voice devoid of emotion.

"Is he one of the Seven Lights?" Xehanort questioned, inclining his head to look at the females impassive expression.

"Perhaps. It doesn't matter." Sadness flashed across the females face for the briefest of moments before the mask was back once more. "All that matters is the end result, not how we get to it."

"On that, we agree." Xehanort nodded, folding his hands into one another behind his back. "It is only a matter of time."

"Something has shifted in the balance of the Worlds, but I can't tell what it is from here." The female's face hardened with resolve. "I'm going to go to the Realm of Light and find out."

"Are you certain that is wise?" Xehanort raised a cautious eyebrow, his eyes lighting up in amusement. "You know what will happen if you remain outside of this place for too long while the Organization remains incomplete."

"I'll be back before that happens." The woman assured him, turning to leave.

"Of course you will." Xehanort replied coolly, continuing to look out at the World that Never Was as the females footsteps retreated. Once he was alone, he felt a smirk creep across his aged face and let out a short bout of laughter. "Foolish girl."

* * *

As a group Sora, Donald, Goofy and Ignis stepped onto the warp pad within the Gummi Ship. It was the way they usually transported themselves down to a World's surface so that the didn't attract too much attention by flying a space ship down instead. It was an awfully useful piece of technology, that Chip and Dale prided themselves on and deservedly so. In a bright flash of light, the area around them suddenly changed. They were on a sidewalk in the middle of a bustling street, massive buildings all around them. There were huge screens with various, almost glowing advertisements on them and the sky above was a clear blue.

"Oh my gosh!" A girl screamed excitedly, pointing at them. "Its the Avengers!"

Sora looked as his companions in confusion, realization setting in as he took in the new outfits his friends were wearing. Donald was encased in some kind of advanced looking armor, the only sign of his identity being that the helmet he was now wearing jutted out to make room for his bill. The armor was red and silver, with glowing white eyes and a glowing circle on Donalds chest. Goofy was wearing a blue bodysuit that covered every part of his body, with brown gloves and brown boots covering his hands and feet. He also wore a blue cowl, which covered most of his face except his eyes, nose and mouth. The cowl had a white G on the forehead and there was a white heart on the chest of his bodysuit. Ignis meanwhile, was wearing a black, very form fitting bodysuit that was unzipped down the front to his waist, exposing his pale torso underneath. He was also wearing black boots and gloves and his hair seemed to be blowing in a wind a little, even though there wasn't a breeze.

"Uh..." Ignis was the first to speak, looking down at himself with a raised eyebrow. "This never used to happen when we visited worlds."

"It's part of the warp process." Donald explained as a group of teenagers rushed towards them in obvious excitement for some reason. "So that we don't upset the secrecy between the Worlds."

"Can we get a picture?" One of the teenagers asked as the crowd reached them.

"Um..." Sora looked at his friends before nodding slowly. "Sure?"

"Thanks Thor! You're my favorite." The teen said, stepping in close to Sora with a small device and holding it up and away from them. "Cool haircut by the way."

"Thanks?" Sora said, blinking as the teenager shot away, replaced quickly by another one. He looked down at himself. He was wearing a dark brown, sleeveless tunic with matching pants and boots. He had a gauntlet on his right arm, and several leather straps wrapped around his left forearm. Craning his neck, he also noticed that he now had a cape that flowed off only his left shoulder for some reason.

"I'm so glad you're one of the good guys again Cap." Another teenager said to Goofy.

"Uh yup. Always." Goofy replied, clearly as confused by the situation as everybody else.

"I thought Black Widow was a girl?" Another teenager stated, pointing at Ignis while talking to several other teenagers.

"I'm not too worried. He's cute." A female replied, stepping towards Ignis with a flirty smile. "I love the way you wear that bodysuit."

"Believe me, I'd do it up if it let me." Ignis replied, trying multiple times to zip up the bodysuit to no avail before shrugging. "Oh well. I'm used to showing a bit of skin anyway."

There was an explosion across the square and the group all looked on as various dark creatures began to appear. The teenager crowd scattered as the Heartless began to attack various pedestrians and Sora summoned Oblivion, the others also summoning their weapons in unison. As one, the group ran towards the Heartless, but stopped short as somebody flew out of the air, taking out a Heartless with a single punch.

"What the-?" The figure exclaimed as the Heartless disappeared. It was a male, dressed in yet another form fitting bodysuit, this time one that was a mix of blue and red. He was wearing a mask that had weird eyes that weren't real, but moved and he had spider logo's on his chest and back. "Thats a new one... Oh no." The male leaped high into the air as another Heartless tried to swipe him from behind, flipping backwards and landing face to face with Sora and the others. His masks eyes went with in surprise, then narrowed slightly. "Your cosplay is pretty good guys. Almost thought you were the real avengers."

"Move!" Ignis shoved the male aside and cut down a Heartless that had rushed up with a swing of his Keyblade, cutting down another with a reversal of his previous action.

"Whoa!" The costumed male's 'eyes' went wide again. "What kind of sword is that?"

"Thundaga!" Donald exclaimed, summoning his staff to take out several more Heartless as the creatures began to surround their group.

"W-was that magic!?" The costumed boy exclaimed in obvious disbelief. "What the heck is going on?"

"We'll tell you after this." Sora informed the costumed boy, spinning to cut down three Heartless at once. He could feel Roxas' power flaring within his chest and it gave him confidence.

"Okay sure." The boy replied, kicking a Heartless in the head and causing it to disappear before leaping headfirst towards a group of the dark creatures of Darkness.

* * *

"The Cornerstone of Light hmm?" Merlin stroked his chin. Everybody had gathered in the Lab, much to the obvious annoyance of Ienzo.

"Yes." Belle nodded, standing strong beside her husband Adam. "He said that we are safest together and with a shard of the Cornerstone of Light, we can create a barrier around this World that will keep us and everybody else safe from those who want to harm us."

"But one of your rank has not made it sadly." Merlin observed grimly.

"Yen Sid said that only one of us would be needed for the enchantment." Belle replied, her voice hardening slightly at the reminder of the loss of Alice. "But the more of us there are, the stronger it will be."

"Well, I'll go get this shard then." Kairi spoke up, drawing the gazes of everybody in the room.

"I don't believe that is the best idea." Ienzo shook his head. "We know that Xehanort is after the Princesses of Heart, so sending one of you away from here is not the best idea."

"On the contrary, it has just been proven that we are quite vulnerable. Without this enchantment, I do not believe that we can hold off Xehanorts forces again." Merlin stated grimly, sighing heavily. "Kairi, I will allow you to travel to fetch a shard, with two guardians."

"Ill go." Lea immediately volunteered, casually placing a hand on Kairi's shoulder with a wide smile. "It only makes sense that I go where she does."

"Indeed." Merlin nodded, casting his gaze over the others present. "Do we have any volunteers?"

"I'll accompany you both." Prince Phillip spoke up, embracing Aurora tightly before moving to stand beside Kairi and Lea.

"Are you certain? It is highly likely that this task will involve great danger." Merlin cautioned the prince.

"I will do anything I can to protect Aurora. If that means I have to be apart from her for a time, I can pay that price." Phillip responded confidently and Kairi smiled. The devotion that the two royals had towards one another was heartwarming.

"Very well then. Do you still have the Star Shard?" As Lea pulled out the container for the mysterious relic, Merlin nodded and held up his hands towards the three of them. "Before you go, I shall grant you this."

The wizards hands lit up and suddenly, Kairi, Lea and Phillip were all engulfed in a swarm of multi colored lights. Kairi felt her body warm up as the lights entered her body and surrounded her, feeling a change occurring. After about a minute, Merlin dropped his hands and Kairi looked at both herself at the others. She was now wearing white shorts and light pink boots that reached up to her calves, with black knee high socks. She was also wearing a black T-shirt under a sleeveless pink coat that flared outwards at her waist and reached down to her knees. The coat was pulled in at her waist by a black belt with a white heart shaped buckle and a matching black choker around her neck with a white, heart shaped charm in the center. She could also feel that her hair was now pulled up into a high ponytail, with bangs falling over the left half of her face.

Lea's coat was now gone, replaced by an entirely new outfit. He wore black and bright orange sneakers and baggy, tan colored shorts with an orange belt. He also wore a sleeveless white shirt underneath a yellow poncho that had a black checked pattern across it. He also had two bracelets crossed over on his left wrist, one blue with a half moon charm and the other orange with a charm shaped like one of his chakrams. On his other wrist was a thick black and white wrist band, also with a checkered pattern. Phillip now wore a dark grey t-shirt under a red leather jacket with black sleeves. His lower half was now covered by faded jeans and black combat boots, and he had a necklace around his neck with a silver charm shaped like Aurora's crown.

"Much better." Merlin nodded in self satisfaction. "Those clothes are enchanted to play to your strengths and give you a boost in combat. I expect that you will need all the help you can get."

"Thank you Mister Merlin." Kairi smiled, before reaching out and taking both Phillip and Lea's hands. "Let's go."

"Right." Lea nodded, holding up the container with the Star Shard in it and closing his eyes. Moments later, the three of them disappeared in a volatile blaze of blue magic.

* * *

Sora threw himself into the battle, cutting down Heartless after Heartless in rapid succession. The power coming from his chest seemed to intensify as he cut more of the creatures down, giving him more adrenaline. He smiled. It was nice to be able to actually help the others fight, instead of being a hindered. As he sliced through several more Heartless, he looked to see how everybody else was doing. Donald and Goofy had grouped up, slowly but surely bringing down the creatures of Darkness with practiced teamwork. Ignis was a hurricane of activity, cutting down the creatures effortlessly and with a speed that impressed Sora. Meanwhile, the costumed boy was definitely holding his own, flipping around the enemies and attacking when he could.

Within minutes, the five of them had defeated all of the Heartless and Sora let Oblivion disappear, breathing heavily as his Heart beat in his chest but standing triumphantly with a bright smile.

"Alright." The costumed boy drew everybodies attention as he spoke. "Time to fess up. I know you're not the Avengers and I've never seen anybody fight like you guys before. Who are you?"

"I'm Sora." Sora replied, his smile brightening further as he gestured at this others. "This is Donald, Goofy and Ignis."

"Dude. Your name literally means fire." The costume boy chuckled, pointing at Ignis who raised his eyebrow. "Weird. I never thought that Latin class would ever actually help me out."

"Latin?" Ignis questioned, eyebrow still raised.

"It's a language that's not English. Theres like... hundreds of them." The costumed boy responded, before reaching out towards Sora to shake hands. "I'm Spiderman by the way."

"Spiderman?" Sora felt the confusion appear on his face as he shook the boys hand. "That's a weird name."

"It's my made up nam- I mean uh... it's my hero name." Spiderman replied, shaking the other three's hands as well. "All the big heroes have one. Iron-Man, Captain America, Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Thor, Scarlet Witch etc. Except, I guess Thor is Thor's real name so I don't know how that works."

"Is this Iron-Man really made of iron?" Ignis asked.

"Uh nope. He wears this awesome suit, kind of like Donalds." Spiderman replied, his 'eyes' narrowing slightly. "Speaking of which, that thing is fully functional. How did you manage to replicate Mr Starks tech?" He shook his head, speaking again. "Actually, what were those swords you guys were using? They looked pretty cool."

"Oh this?" Sora summoned Oblivion to his hand and holding it out to Spiderman. "This is a Keyblade."

"Keyblade?" Spiderman took the weapon. Sora leet the costumed boy look it over for a few moments before summoning it back in his hands, causing Spiderman to jump in surprise and laugh. "Oh wow thats awesome! How does it work?"

"Its a weapon that can be used to defeat the Heartless and protect the Worlds." Sora blurted out, realizing that he'd just completely broken the secrecy of the Worlds. Ignis fixed him with a scathing glare.

"He means world." Ignis cut in, summoning his own. "They are magic."

"Oh magic huh? Are you guy's from Asgard?" Spiderman asked, studying Ignis' weapon from a far before adding. "Wait, is that what those black things are called? Heartless?"

"Yup." A voice familiar to Sora said and the group all turned to look at a helmeted male wearing an Organization coat. He waved his hand and around them all, Darkness sprang up. The world slowed down and Spiderman, Donald and Goofy all froze in place, as well as the few civilians that remained on the street. "Been a while Ventus."

"Ventus?" Sora raised an eyebrow, recalling the name of the male connected to his Heart. He also recalled what Master Xehanort had called the masked boy before him and gasped. "You're Vanitas!"

"You know my name?" The boy's voice held clear curioisty before he lifted his hands up and pulled off his helmet, tossing it to the side. Unlike the Vanitas that Sora had met inside his Heart, this one's hair was white like Xemnas', his eyes a burning golden and his skin was a darker shade than his counterpart. Sora couldn't believe how much the Dark Keyblade wielder looked like him, it was downright unnerving. Vanitas sneered, pointing at Sora. "The little rat really is in there, isn't he?"

"You won't win Vanitas!" Sora exclaimed, raising his eyebrows in surprise as words that were not his own left his mouth. He raised his free hand to his chest, looking down and wondering if that had been Ventus' influence. In his hand, Oblivion disappeared, replaced moments later by a different Keyblade. It was a white Keyblade with some red, black and grey accents and the weapon was almost angelic in structure. In the back of his mind, Sora heard Ventus' voice whisper Lost Memory.

"Hiding away like the scared, insignificant little speck that you are." There was clear hatred in Vanitas' tone as the white haired male summoned his own Keyblade. He glared at the Keyblade now in Sora's hand as he dropped into a battle stance similar to Riku's. "I'll cut you down and tear him out of your Heart!"

"I don't think so." Ignis growled, stepping up to stand by Sora and glancing at the other Keyblade Warrior. "Let's take him together."

"Right!" Sora nodded, dropping into his own battle stance.

"It doesn't make a difference how many of you there are!" Vanitas declared, leaping towards the two with wide eyes and and a bout of crazed laughter.

* * *

Kairi gasped as they arrived at Disney Castle, shaking as the magic from the Star Shard unfurled itself from her and retreated back into the artifact. She wasn't the biggest fan of travelling via that means, but it was easily the fastest mode of transportation available to them and speed was important. She looked around the world unknown to her, finding that they were in a throne room of some sort. Directly in front of them were two females, both of them dressed in regal attire and of the same species as Donald and Mickey.

"Oh my!" The female mouse exclaimed, a small tiara atop her head. "It appears we have visitors."

"Is that the Star Shard?" The female duck inquired, looking at the contained artifact in Lea's hand. "Did Yen Sid send you here?"

"We were sent by the wizard Merlin." Kairi replied with a smile. "I'm Kairi. This is Lea and Phillip."

"Kairi? You're one of the princesses of Heart!" The female mouse appeared to be both surprised and confused. "I am Queen Minnie and this is Daisy, my handmaiden."

"Oh! Forgive me your majesty." Kairi curtsied. Phillip followed the gesture with a deep bow and Lea just waved awkwardly.

"It's fine. You're obviously all in some sort of rush if you're using the Star Shard to travel." The Queen seemed to speak from experience. "But why would Merlin send a princess of Heart here? Isn't Xehanort looking for you?"

"Yes but I'm also a Keyblade wielder and it's my duty to help protect the worlds." Kairi replied confidently. "We need a shard of the Cornerstone of Light in order to create a magical barrier to protect the other princesses on Radiant Garden."

"Of course. This way please." Minnie replied, heading for a massive door that dwarfed everybody present.

As it turned out, the door in fact had a much smaller and more practical door build into it that the group passed through. As they were led through a court yard, Kairi looked around in wonder. The interior of the castle was beautiful, complete with the most stunning gardens she'd ever seen. They were led up to a large hedge shaped like the King and Minnie waved her hand, casting some type of spell on it. Moments later, the hedge shifted to the side, revealing the entrance to a long hallway.

"We moved the Cornerstone of Light from it's previous location after Maleficent attempted to corrupt it one year ago." Minnie explained as she led the group down the well lit hallway. "Something as powerful and crucial cannot be left at risk."

"Maleficent was here?" Kairi asked, recalling the involvement that the Dark Fairy had in the unbalance the worlds now found themselves in.

"She was indeed." Daisy said. "She's come here a few times now, always looking for different things."

"It is my fault she continues to cause such misery." Phillip chimed in, guilt in his tone. "I failed to properly put an end to her on my world all those years ago."

"Oh, it's not your fault dear. She has come back from the dead more times that should be possible, thanks to her dark magic." Minnie clearly did not approve. She pushed open a door at the end of the hallway. "Here it i-"

"Why hello there." Maleficent stood beside a massive crystal structure that was glowing vibrantly which Kairi assumed was the Cornerstone of Light. The witch held a staff in one clawed hand and a victorious smile was painted on her villainous face. "I was just admiring your Cornerstone of Light. It really is quite a magnificent thing." The woman let out a deep, horrid laugh that sent chills down Kairi's spine. Chills that only intensified as the woman's emerald gaze fell on her and then Phillip. "And you've brought a princess of Heart with you as well as the pitiful child who once thwarted my well laid plans. My, what a glittering assemblage, Queen Minnie."

* * *

Ignis blocked Vanitas' first attack and Sora dashed forward, swinging his weapon at the prone Organization member. Vanitas twisted suddenly, dodging Soras attempted strike and leaping backwards as he continued to laugh. Sora and Ignis both followed him, closing in on either side of their opponent. Together, Sora and Ignis began to attack Vanitas, initiating a fast and furious flurry of Keyblade strikes that Vanitas expertly parried but never counter attacked.

Together Sora and Ignis pressed Vanitas, forcing him to begin to step backwards. The laughter from the male faded, replaced by a somewhat irritated growl. Suddenly, Vanitas lashed out, slamming his foot into Ignis' side while swinging his Keyblade at Sora. Sora blocked the attempted strike, only for Vanitas to bounce off his defense and swing for Ignis' now exposed neck. Luckily, Ignis seemed aware of this and ducked at the last second, tackling Vanitas to the ground. Vanitas smirked, flipping Ignis off him and jumping back to his feet. Sora found himself defending from a sudden burst of attacks that were almost too fast to see, one of them making contact on his hip and causing him to cry out in pain.

"Good Ventus. Sing for me." An ugly smile appeared on Vanitas' face as Sora jumped back to avoid another strike, which caused the dark Keyblade warrior to growl in frustration. "You can't run!"

"ENOUGH!" Ignis declared, activating his Keyblade armor and re-entering the fray.

Sora took a moment to gingerly rub his newly sore hip as Ignis savagely attacked Vanitas. The Keyblade Master slammed his weapon into Vanitas' with such force that Vanitas was knocked off his feet, something that clearly surprised the dark warrior. With his opponent in the air, Ignis jumped up and attempted to swing his weapon down into Vanitas' abdomen, but the white haired male raised his Keyblade at the last second to absorb the blow. Regardless, Vanitas was slammed into the ground with enough force to shake the area they were in and Vanitas' Keyblade bounced away. Ignis pointed his Keyblade at Vanitas from high in the air above the prone enemy, magic gathering in his weapon.

"Firaga!" Ignis chanted, sending a massive ball of flame from the end of his weapon towards Vanitas. It impacted against their opponent and the explosion from the impact sent out a shock wave. Ignis landed near Vanitas, deactivating his Keyblade armor and looking down at the seemingly unconscious male with a victorious smirk. "This is the best Xehanort can do?"

Vanitas moved suddenly, his eyes opening as he swept Ignis' legs out from under him. As Ignis fell, Vanitas found his feet as he placed a hand on Ignis' chest and summoned some kind of Dark magical attack that blasted Ignis across the street. The Keyblade master slammed into a building, crashing through the stone wall as if it was paper. Sora watched on with wide eyes.

"Now then..." Vanitas brushed some rubble from the path off his shoulders, summoning his Keyblade back to his hand as he turned towards Sora. "Time to carve you up, Ventus."

* * *

Riku watched Aqua battle the armored figure, the blue haired female summoning a magical barrier to defend against several swift and precise strikes from the armored figure. It was obvious that she was fighting a losing battle and it stood out to Riku very clearly that she was not wielding a Keyblade for some reason. Mickey immediately leaped into the fray, driving off the armored figure much to the obvious shock of Aqua.

"Mickey?" The female's voice was shaking as she turned to see Riku and Lauriam standing there. The studied them for a moment, before smiling. "You're that Riku boy."

"I am." Riku nodded, running up to stand protectively between Aqua and the battle. Mickey seemed to be overwhelming the armored figure with fierce and swift strikes. Riku had never seen his friend fight like that before. "Why aren't you using your Keyblade?"

"I-I haven't been able to summon my Keyblade while I've been trapped in the Realm of Darkness." Aqua admitted. "I was using the Keyblade of my Master, Eraqus. That's his armor that I've been fighting."

"His armor?" Riku frowned. "You mean there's nobody in there?"

"It's a precaution that I put in place before I left here." Aqua explained, pointing to a throne where a boy who looked like Roxas sat, his eyes closed. "I wanted to make sure Ven would be safe, so I enchanted the Masters armor to respond violently to anybody who came here. I didn't account for the fact that he would summon the only thing I had to defend myself if I came here."

"If you came here?" Lauriam finally approached. "You speak as if you did not intend to come back here Aqua."

"Who are you?" Aqua asked, narrowing her eyes slightly and tensing up.

"I am your ally." Lauriam replied cryptically before summoning his Keyblade. "Allow me to prove my worth.

The pinked haired male leaped into the fray to join Mickey. Riku and Aqua watched on in awe as the King and mysterious male swiftly drove back the armor of the Master, driving it into a corner within moments. Lauriam was the one to strike it down, thrusting the end of his weapon into the armors chest and breaking the enchantment placed there. The armor fell to pieces and the Keyblade disappeared, appearing back in Aqua's hand.

"Amazing." Aqua complimented with a shocked expression. "I guess I was foolish to think that I could use a simple enchantment to protect Ven. If that had really been my Master, you guys wouldn't have stood a chance."

"Master Yen Sid said that Master Eraqus was one of the greatest Keyblade wielders in terms of combat." Riku stated. "Even better than Master Xehanort."

"He was." A hint of sadness laced Aquas words and the female sighed. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We're here to rescue you Aqua." Mickey stated with a smile. "Except, we kinda don't have a way outta the Realm of Darkness."

"That's why I came here." Aqua responded, walking towards Ven. "After talking to Ansem, I realized that I couldn't stay here any longer. Even though it puts Ven at risk, I have to go back to the Realm of Light and help."

"How are you going to get back?" Riku asked.

"This world isn't what you think it is." Aqua explained, leading them around to the back of the throne. "It's actually the Land of Departure, a place that exists as a bridge between the worlds." Sadness again washed over her words as she continued. "It was also my home."

"Then what are we here for?" Riku asked, feeling irritation begin to slip into his tone. "We came to save you from the Realm of Darkness because we thought you were trapped here, but now that we're here, you tell us that you could have left whenever you wanted!?"

"Riku." Mickey's voice was a mix of concern and disapproval.

"This is ridiculous!" Riku growled, feeling the familiar feeling of the Darkness begin to warm his body. Even though Maleficent had enchanted his clothes to hold back the Darkness, which he could feel working, he just couldn't ignore the negative emotions that had built to a breaking point within him. "We left Sora and Kairi in the Realm of Light because we thought you needed saving! Kairi is completely untrained, Sora has lost most of his power and they are both being targeted by Xehanort!"

"I-I didn't..." Aqua trailed off as Riku slammed his hand into the back of the Throne, shocking everybody present.

"Do you know what we've been through these past few years!?" Riku glared daggers at Aqua. "Our home has been threatened, I was torn apart from my friends and the Worlds have been in danger!" He wanted to stop, but he couldn't, egged on by a silent voice in the back of his mind. "You've been gone for thirteen years Aqua! Thirteen years! Moping around in the Realm of Darkness when you could have been out there stopping Xehanort!"

"I didn't know how long it had been." Aqua tried, but her words fell on deaf ears.

"Bullshit!" Riku swore, surprised at himself. He hadn't sworn out loud before. His parents had used to do it all the time, particularly his dad, but he always made sure not to. It just felt gross to him. "You can't seriously think that any of this is okay!"

"In Aqua's defense," Lauriam chimed in. "Castle Oblivion itself was locked for quite some time. The Organization had to wait before gaining access."

"I made sure that it was inaccessible for ten years." Aqua confirmed, her tone measured despite the attack on her person. "And besides, when I was actually trapped here, I was left without my own Keyblade or my Keyblade Armor. I have had to walk across the entire Realm of Darkness to get here. I also spent some of that time, helping you guys out."

Riku fell silent, recalling how he'd closed the Door to Kingdom Hearts with Sora, not knowing at the time that Aqua had saved his life from the shadows. Letting out several shuddering breaths, he slowly but surely calmed himself down before looking at Aqua apologetically.

"I-I'm sorry." Riku shook his head. "Being here... It isn't good for me."

"On the contrary," And all too familiar voice interrupted, causing everybody to turn and look at Xehanorts Heartless who was standing across the room with his arms folded and a disgusting smirk on his face. "I believe it brings out the best in you, Riku."


	9. Data and Memories

Authors Note

SURPRISE! Things have been so hectic, so just updating now. Sorry about that. Don't worry, I'm going to keep working on this fic through to completion and KH3 itself won't affect the storyline.

Also, shout out to Tara St Michel on Youtube. Your original songs for Kingdom Hearts are amazing.

Lastly, Face my Fears is EVERYTHING I needed!

* * *

"You!" Riku didn't hesitate, leaping across the space between himself and his sworn enemy.

Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness, shifted his body slightly to avoid the first slash from Way to the Dawn, his amused expression only growing. Riku growled, his negative emotions flaring back up with vengeance. Riku swung his weapon again towards Ansem's hip, his eyes narrowing in frustration as the Heartless summoned his own weapon. Ansem's weapon was a pole arm with two identical blades on each end, both of them similar to the design of Riku's old weapon Soul Eater. The Heartless spun his weapon rapidly in a circular motion, forcing Riku to take several steps backwards to save himself from a series of cuts.

"Xehanort will be pleased to have finally discovered the location of the failed vessel for the X-Blade." The Heartless chuckled, flourishing his weapon. "And that insolent little girl."

"You wont hurt Ven!" Aqua appeared at Riku's side, swinging the reclaimed Keyblade of Master Eraqus towards Ansem. The Heartless batted it away and Aqua fended off several retaliatory quick strikes from him. "Who are you!?

"I am the end of you." Ansem responded with overwhelming arrogance.

Riku snapped out of his brief daze, leaping into the fray. Together, the two Keyblade Masters from different generations assaulted Ansem as one, but they didn't appear to be making any progress. His defense was airtight, the blades of his weapon and their Keyblades little more than a blur of activity. Growing increasingly frustrated, Riku unleashed a sudden wave of Darkness that slammed into Ansems chest and send the Heartless flying backwards. Ansem crashed to the ground and let out a string of laughter, causing Riku's frustration to grow further.

"Good Riku. Use the Darkness that you have caged in your Heart for so long." The Heartless climbed back to his feet, twirling his weapon with his smirk still firmly in place. "It's the only way that you, well any of you, have any hope of defeating me."

"I disagree." Lauriam stated as both he and Mickey joined the others, the four Keyblade Wielders forming a solid line. "You're outnumbered."

"Am I?" Ansem ducked to the left suddenly and Xemnas dashed forward from behind him, the Nobodies presence surprising everybody.

His heart slamming in his chest, Riku tore towards Ansem, ignoring Xemnas as the former leader of Organization XIII locked his Etheral Blades against Lauriam and Mickeys Keyblades. Riku renewed his assault on Ansem, each strike growing stronger than the last as he allowed more and more Darkness to empower him.

"You hate me, don't you?" There was a twisted satisfaction in Ansem's tone as he fended Riku off. "For stealing your body, exposing it to the Darkness."

"Shut up!" Riku screamed, bringing his weapon down on Ansems with both hands. "If it wasn't for you, none of this would even be happening!"

"How right you are. With out me, both you and Sora would still be insignificant little children on a pathetic world playing with a raft." With a low chuckle, Ansem exploited a hole in Riku's defense, kicking him squarely in the chest to knock the boy back. "But you were the one who made the choice. You wanted the power, the freedom. And you were willing to give up anything to attain it."

"That's not how it went!" Riku sprang back to his feet, his body roaring with the power of Darkness. It wasn't overwhelming him though, but he could still feel the effects of using the power seeping into him slowly.

"Isn't it?" Ansem chuckled, pointing behind Riku to where the battle against Xemnas was taking place. "Just like the boy whose body my other half inhabits, you destroyed the lives of all those whom you loved, put all the worlds at risk, just for a taste of true power."

Riku looked over to the others. Mickey and Lauriam were fighting rapidly against the more powerful opponent before them, but Aqua was frozen in place. Riku focused on Xemnas himself, frowning. He'd never realized it before. How had he been so blind? His journey had been so similar to Terra's and Xemnas was obviously the end result of that journey. Was that his fate? To become another instrument of Xehanort?

"I..." Riku let out a slow breath, forcing the Darkness to retract slowly as he looked back to Ansem. "I won't let you manipulate me again. I'm not the same child that you tricked back then."

"Oh really? Then who are you?" Ansems glowing eyes hummed with amusement.

"I am Master Riku. And I am going to stop you!" Riku cried before leaping back into the fray with a renewed resolve

* * *

Kairi stood rooted to her spot, her eyes wide with fear. Maleficent, the woman who had been hunting her for years, was standing a few feet from her and eyeing her like a predator to prey. Both Lea and Phillip had summoned their weapons and taken positions between Kairi and the Dark Fairy, which she was relieved about. The way Maleficent stared at her made her skin crawl. However, Minnie and Daisy did not seem anywhere near as intimidated.

"Holy!" Minnie chanted, raising both hands towards Maleficent and sending a powerful blast of Light towards her.

"How quaint." Maleficent waved her free hand, redirecting the attack into the wall before tilting the jewel of her staff towards them slightly. "Here is my response, my dear." The jewel of her staff glowed and a stream of green flame poured out, clearly intended to engulf them all.

"Protega!" Daisy and Minnie chanted in unison, the both of them raising their hands this time. Maleficents stream of flames slammed into an invisible wall of magic, progressing no further.

"How intriguing." Maleficent muttered, allowing the flames to end. Her gaze slowly went from the Queen and her handmaiden, to the Cornerstone of Light and back again. "This relic empowers the two of you, doesn't it?"

"Yes. The Cornerstone of Light offers strength to all those with Light in their Heart." Minnie nodded, slowly clasping her hands in front of her. Daisy did the same. "Why are you here yet again Maleficent?"

"I am looking for something that your husband may possess." Maleficent replied simply.

"And what is that?" Daisy was the one to reply, her tone much more snappy than the Queens.

"The Book of Prophecies." Maleficent took a moment to judge every bodies reaction before rolling her eyes. "None of you even know what that is, clearly."

"We would not allow you to get your hands on it regardless, witch." Phillip spat.

"Careful little prince. The three idiots aren't here to help you now." Maleficent's tone was amused, but there was a clear sense of danger radiating off of her body.

"The five of us are more than enough to match you." Phillip replied confidently and Kairi finally felt herself unfreeze, summoning Destiny's Embrace and nodding.

"If you are going to threaten the worlds again, we will stop you." Kairi set her face with a stern expression, stepping forward to stand with Lea and Phillip.

"My, haven't you grown?" Maleficent smirked, tapping her fingers on her staff silently for a few moments before continuing. "Worry not child. I am not actually here to fight, not if you truly do not posses the Book of Prophecies."

"What else could you possibly want?" Kairis grip tightened on her Keyblade. She knew better than to trust Maleficent.

"I desire an alliance."

* * *

Riku grunted as he was knocked backwards by a sudden kick from Ansem. The young Keyblade master flipped in midair, managing to land on his feet. He brought up Way to the Dawn just in time to block a powerful strike from the Heartless, being pushed back further. Xemnas suddenly appeared beside Ansem, the two sides of the coin named Xehanort staring Riku down as Lauriam, Aqua and Mickey came to stand beside him.

"A-are you Terra?" Aqua's voice was unsteady and Riku understood why she had been frozen in place when he had last looked at her.

"..." Xemnas stared silently at Aqua, his expression unchanged. Riku did notice however, that the Nobodies fingers had clenched into lose fists. Was that irritation?

"Say something Terra!" Aqua was undetterred, even going so far as to take a step towards Xemnas. To every-bodies surprise, Xemnas actually flinched.

"He is not Terra." Ansem drew attention, the Heartless flashing a glare at his counterpart. "You're holding back. Why?"

"I am not holding back." Xemnas growled out, coolly glancing in his counterparts direction as he spoke.

Ansem didn't reply, his weapon disappearing in a haze of Darkness. Moments later, he let out a feral cry and a bestial, muscular Heartless burst forth from his chest and flew towards Aqua at top speed. Recognizing the Heartless due to his own use of it in the past, Riku leaped in front of Aqua and slammed his Keyblade into it's chest. The Heartless was barely fazed, backhanding Riku to send him flying into a wall across the room. Groaning as he slid down to the ground, Riku looked on as both Mickey and Lauriam engaged the Heartless protruding from Ansem's chest.

A flash of light caught Riku's attention and he looked towards the Roxas lookalike who had summoned a Keyblade Riku had never seen before. Ventus pointed the Keyblade at Ansem and a beam of light shot towards him. The Heartless broke off from battling Mickey and Lauriam, blocking the attacks trajectory and exploding into a violent blast that shook the entire room. Ansem looked on in shock, all eyes going to Ventus who had dismissed the Keyblade and become still once more.

"Ven..." Xemnas muttered slowly, as if recalling something he had long forgotten. His eyes widened slightly as his eyes went between Aqua and Ventus, before they narrowed and his mouth set into a frown. "I..."

"Enough." Ansem's voice was angered for the first time as he placed his hand on Xemna's shoulder, casting his amber gaze over the others. "Keep the vessel. It is useless without the Heart"

With that, Ansem and Xemnas both slowly faded back into the Darkness. Climbing to his feet, Riku hurried over to the others. Aqua looked particularly shaken by the events, her eyes staying on the place where Xemnas had been standing seconds before.

"Why would Terra do that?" She asked, looking down at Mickey.

"We have alota explaining to do." The King replied simply before diving into a quick retelling of the recent events.

* * *

Vanitas moved so quickly that Sora lost track of him, his body moving on instinct to block as strike to his left. Sora grunted, jumping backwards to try and put distance between them, but Vanitas was hot on his heels. The dark mirror of himself continued with a barrage of strikes mid air and Sora struggled to block each of them. As he landed on the ground, his feet were swept out from underneath him and the air left his lungs as his back hit the ground hard. As the white Keyblade fell from his grasp, Sora looked up at Vanitas with his heart beating fast in his chest, the white haired male pointing his own weapon down towards the boy.

"We really did drain all of your power away." Vanitas mused with a dark smirk. "Turns out we didn't even need you in the first place. What a waste of time."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora asked in confusion.

"You were supposed to be the thirteenth vessel, but after your little friends interfered, we found a more suitable shell for Xehanorts Heart." Vantias raised his Keyblade above his head, his eyes shining with satisfaction. "Now you'll die and I'll claim the rest of MY Heart!"

Sora's body moved on its own, the Keyblade being summoned to his hand in a reverse grip. He swung it upwards to bat away Vanitas' intended death strike, jumping back to his feet as he did and adopting a foreign battle stance. His Keyblade was held in a reverse grip with his free hand by his side and he bounced on the balls of his feet. It felt so strange.

"Ventus!" Vanitas snarled before leaping forward.

This time, Sora's movements didn't feel like his own. He fended off Vanitas' assault with a mixture of reversed blocks and dodges, not remaining in the same place for more than a second. The two of them danced across the street, Vanitas' assault becoming more frantic with each strike that Sora parried. His chest felt warm and finally, he realized that Ventus must be helping him. Sora smiled, which only served to enrage Vanitas further.

"You think this is funny huh!?" Vanitas ended his assault suddenly, swaying slightly as he glared at Sora through glowing amber eyes.

"No. I'm just happy that I still have people who want to help me fight back the Darkness." Sora replied, dropping back into the foreign battle stance.

Ignis suddenly landed beside Sora, a look of obvious irritation on his face. He wasn't wearing his armor anymore and he had several cuts across his face and arms, but he didn't seem bothered by them. Vanitas eyed the two of them before snarling and gesturing his free hand to open up a Door to the Darkness behind him.

"I've got more important things to be doing than playing with two pieces that aren't on the board anymore." Vantis rolled his eyes, stepping backwards into the Darkness with a smirk. "Keep playing at being the heroes while you still can."

Sora and Ignis watched him leave and as he did, the world started to move around them again. As his adrenaline started to fade and he came down, Sora felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him and without warning, he fell forward and passed out.

"Sora!"

* * *

"I see." Aqua nodded, a thoughtful expression on her face.

Mickey and Riku had given the Keyblade Master an abridged version of the events of the past decade, with Lauriam adding in some things here and there. Terra losing his memory due to the fight over his Heart against Xehanort. Xehanorts apprenticeship to Ansem the Wise and eventual betrayal of everybody on Radiant Garden. Xehanorts Heartless and his bid to claim Kingdom Hearts by manipulating Maleficent and Riku. The Organization taking command of Castle Oblivion and their eventual downfall. Sora's comatose period and the rise of the Nobodies, including his own. The fight against the remainder of the Organization. Master Xehanorts return and his master plan. When it was all laid out, it really did seem like a lot and the three of them tried to not miss any important details.

"So that wasn't really Terra, just the remnant of his body possessed by the will of Xehanort?" Aqua asked.

"That's one way to describe it." Lauriam was the one to answer. "While Nobodies do inhabit the bodies of their former selves, they do largely recall their past lives and take on various attributes. For example, I recalled my desire to find Castle Oblivion as Marluxia and I knew that I wanted to use it against Xemnas, but I wasn't quite sure as to why. Things become... fragmented. However, I was still myself."

"So, you're saying that a part of Terra could exist within this Xemnas person?" Aqua's expression softened. "We could save him."

"It is possible, however unlikely." Lauriam stated. "Did any of you observe Xehanorts Heartless during the battle? What stood out to you about him?"

"He's just as depraved and horrible as he's always been." Riku growled, narrowing his eyes as the mans face entered his mind.

"I cannot speak on that. But the Heartless possesses something that the Nobody does not." Lauriam replied, waiting for somebody to speak.

"Oh!" Mickey's eyes widened. "The Guardian Heartless!"

"But, why would that be important?" Aqua asked.

"In all my time in the Organization, Xemnas never displayed an ability to conjure forth such a creature. In fact, I have never seen somebody summon forth a Heartless that was tethered to their very being." Lauriam began and Riku quickly guessed where the pink haired male was going with his train of thought.

"You can't seriously be suggesting that Terra is that 'guardian Heartless'." The silver haired boy shook his head in disbelief. "How would that even be possible?"

"I don't know." Lauriam conceded with a sigh. "But it is connected to Xehanorts Heartless and that cannot be a coincidence. You said earlier that this Terra person was possessed by Xehanort and that when he died, he did so in this state of possession. I believe that the Heartless of this possessed being would logically be unique, as the body died with two Hearts inside it."

"But I've fought that creature before, on Radiant Garden just before I was trapped in the Realm of Darkness and I fought Terra." Aqua interjected and all eyes went to her.

"After his possession?" Lauriam inquired and Aqua nodded. "And did Xehanort display this ability previously?"

"N-no." Aqua looked down before wandering over towards Ventus. "We can discuss this later. Right now, we need to get back to the Realm of Light."

Aqua summoned Eraqus' Keyblade and walked around the back of the throne Ventus was sleeping on, raising the weapon to point it at the center of the throne. Everybody looked on as a small beam of light was fired from the end of the Keyblade into the throne and after a loud click rang out, suddenly the whole room lit up with a blinding Light that caused everybody to close their eyes and raise a hand to shield them. After several moments, the Light died down and everybody looked around with wide eyes. The room was no longer white, but instead there was color everywhere. On top of that, a throne had suddenly appeared on either side of the one Ventus was on and light shone through several massive stained glass windows.

"The Land of Departure!?" Mickey exclaimed in surprise as Aqua walked out from behind the throne, placing a hand on Ventus' shoulder and nodding.

"The Master gave me instructions on how to hide this world in the Realm of Darkness if I needed to." A sad expression crossed her face as she looked down at the sleeping boy. "I just didn't know I would have to leave it like that for so long."

* * *

"An alliance!?" Minnie, Daisy and Phillip exclaimed in unison.

"You cant be serious." The Prince continued, raising his sword marginally. "We would never fight alongside you."

"I understand that I have opposed you all in the past to varying degree's." Maleficent smirked slightly. "However, there is a much greater threat than myself out there now and his name is Xehanort."

"What do you know about him?" Kairi asked with a frown.

"What do I know? I worked with him dear child." Maleficent chuckled. "I have something of an intimate relationship with the old master and his many doppelgangers. I now see that he was simply manipulating me to fulfill his own ends."

"How unfortunate." Lea spoke up, letting his Keyblade rest on his shoulder. "But ya see, we're not in the habit of letting the enemy of our enemy be our friend."

"Why not? I have provided assistance to you warriors of Light in the past." Maleficent paused, gauging every bodies reaction before speaking once more. "I saved Sora and the two fools from the blue haired berserker." Kairi noticed Lea tense up slightly at the mention of who she assumed was Isa. Daisy also reacted, likely due to the fact that her husband was one of the 'two fools'. "I held off the forces of the Organization while Sora, Riku and the King battled against Xehanorts remnant." This time it was Minnie who reacted at the mention of her beloved. "And I have recently granted Riku some much needed assistance."

"What did you do to him?" Kairi stepped forward, glaring into the cool gaze of the dark fairy.

"What I have always done, little princess. I gave him more power." Maleficent shook her head lightly. "We are wasting time. The longer we spend with this idle prattle, the more strength that Xehanort gains."

"Even if we were to agree, how do we know we can rely on you?" Minnie asked, the Queen's voice remaining stable despite the powerful presence of the demonic woman before her. "For all we know, you have Pete ransacking the library as we speak."

"I rid myself of that blundering fool." Was all Maleficent said in reply.

"What can you offer us?" Kairi asked, still frowning but speaking in a softer tone.

"All the powers of Hell." Maleficent stated dully before letting out a dramatic sigh. "I have acquired an army of Heartless that Xehanort simply cannot control, no matter how many times he replicates himself."

"And how did you manage to do that?" Minnie inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"I acquired some of the worlds created from the Data of a certain journal, then it was a simple matter of learning how to manipulate the Heartless from them." Maleficent replied coolly before waving her free hand dismissively. "We do not have the time to blabber needlessly. Xehanort's power grows with each passing moment. Do you accept my offer of an alliance or not?"

"We do." Kairi replied immediately, earning concerned looks from her friends. "We are going to need every possible advantage to take down Xehanort once and for all."

"A wise decision, little princess." Maleficent smirked, before raising an eyebrow. "Tell me something, is Yen Sid still occupying that tower of his?"

"Yes..." Kairi replied slowly, the question hanging in the air.

"Perhaps he will be the one to point me in the direction of the Book of Prophecies. You are based on Radiant Garden yes?" After a nod from Lea, Maleficent summoned a door to the Darkness behind her and stepped back into it. "I will rendezvous with you there shortly then."

* * *

Xemnas slowly stepped out of a Door to the Darkness into one of the many rooms of Castle Oblivion, his mouth drawn in a thin line and his eyes narrowed in thought. Behind him, his counterpart stormed out, the Heartless letting out a harsh growl before grabbing Xemnas' shoulder and forcing him to turn around.

"What was that!?" Ansem glared at Xemnas, his eyes glowing with rage.

"Are you perhaps referring to the fact that your guardian was vanquished by a single blow from a comatose child?" Xemnas' reply was slow, meticulous and calm. None of the emotions he was feeling showed through his tone or in his cool amber eyes.

Ansem's eyes widened in response and he summoned his weapon, swinging it towards Xemnas' neck in the blink of an eye. Xemnas caught the end of the weapon coolly, his hand flaring with electricity as he held the blade only inches from his neck. The two sides of the same Heart eyed one another in silence, Ansem's enraged glare contrasting severely against Xemnas' almost bored gaze. They both knew how this would end. While Ansem had inherited the wild power of Xehanorts Heart, Xemnas had inherited the strength of Terra's body and had built up his strength slowly over the years since the Apprentice Xehanort had killed himself. The Heartless was raw, untamed power while the Nobody was a refined blade. Together, they should have been unstoppable.

"What is this?" A voice drew both pairs of eyes to the youthful face of Terra marred by the features that marked a Xehanort possession, a smirk playing on his lips. "As entertaining as this confrontation might be in a few moments, I must advise against it. This will do nothing towards achieving our endgame."

Ansem sneered at the boy before letting his weapon disappear, folding his arms over his chest and refusing to look at Xemnas. Xemnas simply let his arm drop back to his side, slowly turning his head towards his younger incarnation, studying the boy. The resemblance between them was clear. The idea of time travel itself was intriguing enough, but to actually see the whole being that had split to become himself and Ansem standing right there was something else entirely.

"Was there some reason for that display?" The boy asked, his voice far deeper than one would suspect.

"Xemnas held back to a ridiculous degree against our enemies. He practically allowed them to defeat us." Ansem snapped.

"Oh?" The boy raised an eyebrow, his amused gaze falling on Xemnas. "Is that so?"

"Seeing the girl and sleeping boy merely caused this body to remember it's previous life." Xemnas drawled, narrowing his eyes slightly. "I became conflicted."

"Conflicted?" The boy's smirk fell into a frown and he stroke his chin thoughtfully. "I have struggled to retain control over this body since stepping away from my own timeline. Perhaps I once passed on that struggle to you and it lay dormant until now. Have you felt this way before?"

"When I laid eyes upon the boy Riku for the first time, I felt a sense of familiarity." Xemnas admitted. "The pull was not this strong however."

"Have you experienced these memories before?" Ansem was the next one to speak, his anger having dimmed somewhat to allow for a hint of curiosity.

"No." The lie came easily to Xemnas. His counterparts did not need to know about the times he had visited Aqua's armor to talk to the inanimate object, or how he had recruited Roxas into the organization largely because of his resemblance to Ventus, rather than solely because of the connection to Sora. "It will not happen again."

"I'm wouldn't be so certain about that." The boy shook his head. "Terra has always been difficult for me to keep under my control. A strong Heart, a powerful body and an indomitable will."

"It will not happen again." Xemnas repeated, a slight irritation slipping into his otherwise monotonous voice. With a gesture, he summoned a Door to the Darkness and headed for it.

"Where are you going?" Ansem demanded.

"..."

* * *

"H-how is this possible?" Riku asked, still studying the changed room in shock. The difference was astounding.

"This place was once known as the Land of Arrival and housed an academy for Keyblade wielders." Aqua explained, taking one of Ventus' hands in her own as she spoke. "During that time, it was one of the only bridges between the Realms of Light and Darkness and so, it has special properties."

"What's left here is actually a speck of what once was." Lauriam was the next to speak, his voice sounding awfully nostalgic as he stared up at the windows. "Most of the academy was wiped out about thirty years ago according to the Book of Prophecies."

"The Book of Prophecies? I thought that was just a myth?" Aqua's gaze finally left Ven's slumbering face, her blue eyes falling on Lauriam.

"Every myth begins with some truth." Lauriam shrugged. "We will need to relocate Ventus to a safer location. Xehanort knows of this place."

"Where do you think safe would be?" Riku asked with a frown.

"Surely you Guardians of Light have begun to amass your forces somewhere?" Lauriam's tone hummed with cynicism.

"Well yeah. Everyboy is headin to Radiant Garden." Mickey replied.

"Then Radiant Garden is the safest place for the boy." Lauriam raised a hand, summoning a Door to the Darkness. "Now that I know where a weakness in the veil between Realms is, I should be able to easily bring my allies through to assist in the battle against Xehanort."

"You're just leaving?" Riku glared at the pink haired male. "Why can't you get your allies after we arrive at Radiant Garden?"

"We don't have the time to argue about this." Lauriam stepped into the portal, the Darkness slowly enveloping him. "I will bring my allies to Radiant Garden as soon as possible."

The three remaining Keyblade Masters stared at the portal as it slowly faded before disappearing completely, glancing at one another in silence. They remained this way for several moments, each of them processing what had happened over the last few hours before Aqua broke the silence.

"How are we going to traverse the Realms?" She asked. "Things don't feel the same as they used to in the Realm of Light. I'm not sure that I could open a Door to the Light for us to pass through."

"And I don't have the Star Shard." Mickey added, before looking to Riku with bright eyes. "Do ya think ya could open a Door to the Darkness for us?"

"I'm... I'm not sure." Riku sighed. "I've been struggling to contain the Darkness in my Heart ever since we encountered Maleficent. She cast a spell on me later, stating that it would allow me to control myself better, but I think it's just made things worse."

"And you don't want to risk manipulating the Darkness in case it has adverse effects." Aqua finished for him, the blue haired female having a thoughtful expression appear on her face. "That does leave us in a bit of a bind."

"It's just so frustrating." Riku clenched his fists. "I thought I finally had power over the Darkness in my Heart, but I was wrong!"

"Gee, it's okay Riku." Mickey tried to comfort his friend. "We can find another way."

"But we shouldn't have to!" Riku snapped, glaring at his friend before he quickly sobered up. "I'm sorry Mickey, I didn't mean to do that."

"These problems you're having with the Darkness in your Heart, do they have something to do with your encounter with Xehanorts Heartless two years ago?" Aqua asked.

"Thats where they started." Riku nodded.

"My friend Terra had a similar experience." Sadness laced the girls voice. "He's also the one who passed on the ability to wield the Keyblade to you."

"I'd been wonderin' how Riku gained the ability." Mickey piped up.

"I think the best thing for you to do, is confront the Darkness head on." Aqua stated, stepping away from the throne Ven was resting on and crossing to the center of the room. "The fastest way to draw out the Darkness is for you to be put under a certain level of stress."

"What are you saying?" Riku questioned with confusion.

"We should duel. When Terra and I sat our Mark of Mastery Exams, I forced him onto his back foot and he summoned the Darkness out of instinct." Aqua explained, turning around to face Riku and summoning Eraqus' Keyblade. "Maybe if we do the same thing, you can use the opportunity to regain control of the Darkness within your Heart."

"I'm not so sure this is a good idea." Riku replied slowly, summoning Way to the Dawn after a few moments with a sigh. "But it's not like we have much choice."

"Alright then." Aqua said, dropping into a relaxed battle stance. "Mickey, could you do the honors?"

"Of course." Mickey stepped to the side of the room, well out of their path. "Begin!"

* * *

Sora opened his eyes to find five familiar faces looking back at him and smiled at Ventus warmly.

"Thanks for helping me just now."

"Thats okay Sora." Ventus replied with a smile of his own. "I couldn't just sit here and let him beat you around like that."

"Lets not pretend that you didn't only help him because our continued survival relies completely on him being able to go on breathing." Vanitas scoffed, rolling his amber eyes.

"That was you out there right Vanitas? You looked weird." Sora studied his dark mirror, noting that the Vanitas in his heart had black hair and darker skin.

"Thats probably because Xehanort has merged his Heart with what remained of mine inside my body after Ventus and Aqua destroyed our failed X-blade." Vanitas frowned. "It's unnerving to see your body acting outside of your control from a third person perspective."

"I'll bet." Sora agreed. "So you're saying that only a piece of your Heart is connected to mine?"

"Pretty much. This piece is connected to Ventus and therefore you, while the rest of it is now merged with the old man." Vanitas rolled his eyes again. "To be honest, I'd rather be connected to nobody."

"But, the connections to people who care about you is what gives you a reason to fight." Sora exclaimed, earning a bout of laughter from Vanitas.

"Wow, you're sickeningly naive Sora. You do realize that were it not for our connection, I would cut you down without a second thought right?" Something dangerous glowed in his amber eyes. "You'd better hope I never get the chance to take control of your body."

"We wouldn't let that happen." Ventus cut in, frowning at his other half.

" **Thats what you said about me**." Soras Darkness spoke next, his low voice drenched in amusement. He was sitting cross legged, his large circular eyes staring upwards into oblivion.

"The difference being that you're actually the Darkness within Sora's Heart. Vanitas is just a guest. Like the rest of us." Roxas chimed in, looking to Sora. "Things seem to be getting more intense out there."

"I'm worried about Riku and Kairi." Sora frowned, looking down.

"They will be fine." Xion offered a reassuring smile. "Riku is one of the strongest people I've ever met. And Kairi is with Axel. He'll make sure nothing happens to her."

"I hope so." Sora stared at his shoes, clearly unconvinced.

"Hey." Roxas moved to stand in front of Sora, placing a hand on his Somebodies shoulder and drawing the boys eyes up to meet his own. "Everythings going to work out. You guys have saved the world so many times already. This will be a piece of cake."

"I guess." Sora glanced at Ventus who gasped suddenly. "Are you okay!?"

"I-" Ventus raised a hand to his chest, glancing over to Vanitas who had narrowed his eyes. "I think something has happened to my body. I feel... different."

"Good different or bad different?" Sora inquired.

"Good? Lighter?" Ventus shook his head, a small smile on his face. "I feel happy, so it must be a good thing."

"Or maybe the old man finally found your body." Vanitas supplied with a dark smirk.

"It's useless without our Heart, you know that." Ventus sighed.

"I can dream, can't I?" Vanita chuckled, looking to Sora. "You'd better rest Sora. If the old man has found his body, then it's only a matter of time before I'm reunited with my own."

And just liked that, everything went black for Sora.

* * *

Riku's eyes widened as Aqua crossed the distance between them in a single leap, her Keyblade slamming against his own. Instead of entering a blade lock however, the female spun to his left and sent a strike towards his shoulder. Ducking low, Riku slashed upwards in a diagonal fashion, hitting nothing but air as Aqua cartwheeled backwards. The elder Keyblade Master pointed her weapon towards Riku and suddenly several fireballs appeared, speeding towards him. Without even thinking, Riku summoned the Darkness into his free hand and fired a fireball of his own, the explosion engulfing all of the blasts that Aqua had sent towards him. The coldness of the Darkness remained in his hand.

Before Riku could recover, Aqua was tearing through the smoke left behind by their brief magical exchange, her foot connecting with his face and sending him skidding along the ground. The silver haired boy rolled to his feet, lurching backwards as the end of his opponents Keyblade sailed through the air where his throat had just been exposed. Riku kicked his own foot up, sacrificing his balance to try and upset Aqua's momentum, but the female gracefully sidestepped and brought her weapon crashing down towards him. Rikus back hit the ground hard and he felt the air rush out of his lungs, barely bringing Way to the Dawn up in time to block the female's attack. With Aqua standing over him and pressing down, Riku gritted his teeth, the coldness from his hand having spread up his arm and into his chest.

"Don't try to repress it." Aqua instructed, pressing even harder. "You need to control it, not cage it."

"I-I can't!" Riku's eyes widened as his entire body cooled, his chest slamming as he felt the Darkness wrap around his Heart.

"You've done it before Riku!" Mickey called from somewhere. "You can do it again!"

With a cry, Riku pushed Aqua off of him with strength that only the Darkness could give him, snapping back to his feet. The female stumbled but regained herself quickly as Riku gasped for air. He'd almost forgotten how terrible it felt to have the Darkness clutching his Heart. When he had finally managed to control it, he'd thought this would never happen again. His head started to go light and he knew that something was about to go very wrong.

"I can't control it!" Riku held up his free hand in caution to Aqua and Mickey. Way to the Dawn disappeared and both hands went to his head, his eyes closing as he concentrated on pushing the Darkness back down, even though he knew such an action was futile at this point.

"You can!" Aqua leaped towards him again, Keyblade raised high.

"STAY BACK!" Riku roared, raising his hands defensively and sending a wave of Darkness towards Aqua. The female sliced through it, landing in front of him and swinging again. "Stop!" Darkness blasted out of Riku's hands, forming a shield that blocked Aqua's attack, before exploding, blasting the two apart violently.

"Tch..." Aqua grunted, climbing back to her feet and adopting her fighting post once more. "You CAN control this Riku."

"I can't!" Riku yelled, glaring at her from his position on the ground several meters away. "Stop forcing me to do this! I need to just push it back down before it's too late!"

Aqua leaped forward once more, flying high into the air before coming down towards Riku with an arcing slash of her Keyblade. Feeling something well up inside himself, Riku's eyes went wide and as if in slow motion, he thrust his arms out to his sides, a powerful wave of Darkness spinning out from his body in a savage hurricane of power as the boy screamed.

"AAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

* * *

Sora came to, opening his eyes to find himself staring at the bottom of another bed. Rubbing his eyes, he slowly sat up and looked around. He was sitting in somebodies bedroom, one that had some pretty interesting looking things in it. Being there reminded him of his own bed and he felt a brief sadness wash over him as he thought about his parents. He'd disappeared on them for the better part of the last few years and Sora had no doubt they'd be extremely worried about him.

"Oh hi, you're awake!" Sora looked over to see a lean teen sitting on a stool, staring at him wide eyed. His voice felt familiar.

"You're that hero guy?" Sora raised an eyebrow as it clicked. "You're... younger than I thought you were."

"Hey, I'm fifteen." The boy narrowed his eyes and pouted. "Besides, you don't look much older than me."

"Yeah, but I'm a certified Hero." Sora replied cheekily, thumbing his chest.

"Says who?" The boy demanded.

"Hercules." Sora stated simply with a beaming smile following the word.

"... The Greek God?" The boy frowned at him before shaking his head. "Look whatever. We're both heroes. My names Peter by the way."

"Can you guys **shut** up?" Ignis voice came from the top bunk and the bed creaked as he shifted. "I had finally gotten to sleep."

"You've been out for three hours." Peter stated matter-o-factly. " Sora's been out for five."

"Wait, where are Donald and Goofy?" Sora asked.

"They went to check out the city. Went to find something called the Keyhole?" Peter replied with obvious confusion.

"What?" Ignis head poked over the edge, his green eyes staring down at Sora. "What do they know of the Keyholes?"

"It's a long story, but we went around sealing them a few times to keep Ansem and Xemnas from taking over the worlds." Sora threw his legs over the edge of the bed, scrunching his face up in thought. "I guess they thought it was a good idea to find it as a precaution since Vanitas is here."

"That guy with the mask?" Ignis jumped down from the top bunk, landing lightly and stretching. "He was really powerful. Plus, he really hated you."

"Masked guy?" Peter frowned. "Come to think of it, there was a masked guy there for a second. Then you were suddenly passing out Sora."

"He stopped time." Ignis informed the young Superhero, looking around the room. "This isn't really the place I'd expect for a Hero to hang out."

"Hey, not everybody can have big fancy labs like Mister Stark." Peter pouted. "Besides, I'm just a kid. This is the best I can do."

"Peter, did you put your colors in the washing machine with my whites again?." A female opened the door, eyes widening slightly at the two Keyblade wielders. "Oh hi. I didn't know Peter had friends over."

"Friends, right!" Peter jumped off his stool, his voice rising in obvious panic. "Uh this is Ignis and Sora. We're... working on a project together."

"Nice to meet you both. I'm May, Peters aunt." May smiled in a friendly way before settling a serious look on her nephew. "Once you and your friends are done with your project, you and I are going to talk about putting your red and blue T-shirts in with my white ones."

"R-right." Peter chuckled nervously. As May shut the door, he let out a sigh of relief before turning to the Keyblader wielders. "Look, now that you guys are awake, you can't stay here. She can't know about me being Spiderman and you guys really don't fit in."

"What do you mean?" Ignis raised an eyebrow.

"You're **literally** wearing armor. And you guys have really spiky hair." Peter glanced at his watch as it began to beep, pressing a button and looking at the face. "Huh, theres some kind of disturbance on a cruiser in the bay. Why don't you guys help me deal with this and then I'll help you with this uh... Keyhole thing."

"Alright then. Suit up kid." Ignis gestured and Peter rubbed the back of his head.

"Uh.. the suit is kinda skintight, so I need a little privacy." He gestured to the window. "Can you guys..."

"Sure!" Sora stood up, heading for the window. "I can't wait to see you in action again Peter."

* * *

Ienzo glared at the computer screens in the lab, slamming his fist down on the keyboard before looking over to Dilan who let out another moan of pain. Immediately, he was at his friends side, gently pouring a potion into his mouth and tilting his head slightly so the man would swallow it in his state of unconsciousness. Next Evan began to squirm and cried out, so Ienzo repeated the action to his other friend. As the two of them stabilized, he stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"How's it going?" Aeleus asked as he entered the room, Ienzo jumping in surprise. For a big guy, the red head could move rather quietly.

"Not well I'm afraid. I can't seem to find anything in Ansems database that hints at a solution to their problem, only that if we don't find it soon, they will be overcome with Darkness and lost forever." Ienzo turned, shaking his head. "As much as I hate to admit it, we could really use the old mans help right now."

"That's not possible. Yen Sid told Merlin that Ansem was killed on the World that Never Was." Aeleus frowned. "We're running out of time and options."

"The only thing that I can think of is contacting one of the members of Xehanorts Organization." Ienzo turned around and pulled up a series of bio's on the screens. Featured on them were bios on Xehanort, his Heartless who had taken the name Ansem, Xemnas, the Young version of Xehanort, Isa and Braig. There were also a separate group of bios centered around the remaining missing members of the original organization, being Elenar, Lauriam, Myde, Rould and Roxas. "Perhaps they would be sympathetic to Evan and Dilan's situation?"

"We already know that Xehanorts Heartless, Nobody and younger self will not help us. Braig was always loyal to Xemnas and Isa?" Aeleus paused before shaking his head. "The only person that might be able to get through to him is Lea, and Lea is busy."

"Elenar and Lauriam betrayed the original Organization, so it's doubtful that they are a part of Xehanorts new one. However, Marluxia did claim to have some book with knowledge that nobody, not even Xemnas, possessed. If we could find Lauriam..." Ienzo bit his lip. "Myde would help us in a heartbeat, if he's anything like Demyx. Then again, if he's anything like Demyx, Xehanort wouldn't consider him."

"I doubt Rould would help us. He was steadfastly loyal to Xemnas, one of the infamous inner circle." Aeleus raised an eyebrow. "Why is Roxas up there? We already know that he's merged with Sora."

"I've been thinking about that." Ienzo's fingers ran over the Keyboard, bringing up a file called 'Data Worlds'. "In this file, Ansem outlined creating Worlds from Data in order to hide his more... delicate research from prying eyes. We know for a fact that after our deaths in Castle Oblivion that Roxas rebelled and went missing for a time. It's possible that Ansem used one of these Data Worlds to hide him from Xemnas."

"How does that help us?" Aeleus asked, obviously confused.

"In his files, Ansem outlines the possibility that prolonged entrapment in these Data Worlds could result in the Data World becoming sentient and evolving." Ienzo turned to his friend, rolling his eyes as his point obviously didn't land. "Roxas being there for long enough would create a gap once he was taken out of the Data World. It's possible that the Data World could create a replacement in such an event, looking to fix the issue itself."

"You're saying that Roxas could still exist in this Data World?" Aeleus took a moment before continuing. "How does that help us?"

"Perhaps if we place Evan and Dilan in one of these Data Worlds, it could slow the progression of their condition or even fix it entirely. And if a version of Roxas really does exist in these Data Worlds, then perhaps we could use him to combat Xehanort." Ienzo smirked. "Everybody knew that Xemnas feared the potential that Roxas had."

"Alright then. What Data Worlds were there?" Aeleus stepped closer to the screen as Ienzo brought up a list.

"There were countless Data Worlds, apparently many of them predating Ansem himself. However, many of those became corrupted somehow and are no longer accessible." Ienzo worked silently for a few moments before bringing up a world on the screen. "This world, Twilight Town. There are blueprints here for a Data Counterpart."

"Didn't Axel and Roxas used to go to Twilight Town a lot when they thought nobody was looking?" Aeleus chuckled. "I remember that Demyx told me he once caught the two sitting together watching the sunset."

"It would make the perfect cover for Ansem to hide Roxas after his disappearance. It would feel familiar to him, but be completely out of Xemnas' reach." Ienzo looked back at his two unconscious friends. "As soon as we can, we need to send somebody to Twilight Town to investigate this."

* * *

Kairi, Lea and Phillip appeared in the Courtyard of the Castle at Radiant Garden, Lea pocketing the Star Shard as soon as it stopped shining. Kairi held a box in her hands that held a small piece of the Cornerstone of Light, granted to her by Minnie not long after Maleficent had left. She also carried letters from Minnie and Daisy to their husbands, expressing their love as well as a promise to help with the fight as soon as it began in full.

"I cannot believe that we willingly allied with that witch." Phillip grumbled.

"It can't be helped. We need all the help we can get, and Maleficent is a very powerful woman." Lea shrugged. "Besides, we can take her if we really have to. She tries anything, she's done. Boom. Easy."

"We should get this to Merlin." Kairi interrupted, eager to get the barrier up around Radiant Garden as quickly as possible.

"Right." The boys said.

As the group headed for the door, a Door to the Darkness opened behind them and the group spun to see Xemnas stepping out of it. As the portal faded away, Lea stepped in front of the other two, summoning his Chakrams and immediately adopted a battle ready position. Phillip also summoned his sword and shield, staying beside Kairia protectively, though he was unsure of who the man was.

"What are you doing here?" Lea demanded with a growl.

"Axel." Xemnas greeted in his monotonous voice. "I see you have recovered from your heroic sacrifice."

"Yeah, no thanks to you." Lea spun his Chakrams slowly, sparks of flame appearing on the edges.

"I am not here to fight." Xemnas turned his gaze on Kairi, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You. Summon your Keyblade."

"Why?" Lea interrupted, shifting from one foot to another. He was obviously worried.

"Do not question me." Xemnas snapped, breaking from his usual monotone and making everybody jump. He composed himself before speaking once more. "I wish to see if I am correct in an assumption of mine."

Kairi stared at the male silently before balancing the Cornerstone box in one hand and summoning her weapon, holding it length ways for the Superior of the Nobodies to examine it. Xemnas's eyebrows came together in a frown as he looked at the weapon before he nodded slowly.

"It seems that I am correct." His gaze went back to Lea. "Put away your weapons."

"No." Lea snapped back.

"Do you actually believe that if I was here for a fight, that you could hold me back?" Xemnas let out a soft, emotionless chuckle. "Do not delude yourself, Number Eight."

"Don't call me that!" Lea gritted his teeth.

"Then do not act like the Nobody you once were. So quick to anger, always ready for a fight." Xemnas eyes narrowed slightly in amusement. "That didn't help Roxas. Or Xion."

"X-Xion? Lea's eyes widened, as if something clicked in his mind and he took a step back as if he'd been struck. Memories flashed through his mind, memories of a small female wearing an Organization cloak with her hood up. "Wh-why did you say that name?"

"You have lost a piece of your memory. I can return it, if only you would allow me a small indulgence." Xemnas replied calmly.

"I..." Lea looked to Kairi and Kairi raised her eyebrows in surprise. The way that he was looking at her, it was almost like he was seeing a ghost. But why? "She..."

"Yes." Xemnas raised his arm to point to the castle behind the group. "Allow me to bring the Princess of Heart to a chamber within this castle and I shall release the block on your mind."


End file.
